It can’t all be good news, can it? Sorry to start your Monday off on a negative note, but there are several unfortunate events that need to be acknowledged. We’ll get back to the positive news soon enough.
Two downtown businesses have closed in recent weeks and it’s always unfortunate to see the end of a run, but it’s the reality of operating any business. One restaurant that recently closed, Koyo, had been on my radar recently. Located in a small building between French Market and the YWCA, Koyo becomes another in a list of restaurants we’ve enjoyed on this spot, but which have closed or moved. Le Parigo long ago, the second location of Coffee and Chocolate (we loved the panini), and Kaizen, which moved to the Old City. The little building has a great front porch where we’ve enjoyed many hours and much great food.
I had a strange run with Koyo. I wrote about them when they opened, of course, in October 2021. We still had not gotten back into the groove of eating out so much since the pandemic. Maybe that was the reason we never made it there to eat a meal. Until this past winter. A friend mentioned that their second anniversary had passed and we met a couple of friends there in January. I intended to write an article, but couldn’t get a response from the manager. I suspect she knew what was coming soon.
The meal, service, and ambience were great. We enjoyed a wonderful evening with our friends. Coincidentally, we first met those friends on the porch when Kaizen operated the spot. The photos you see here are from that night.
I don’t have any information as to why they closed, but it does coincided closely to the massive renovations set to take place at the YWCA. When Kaizen left several years ago, YWCA plans were mentioned. It’s too bad. It’s been a lovely spot for a restaurant and we’ll take fond memories from our time there.
The second closure is a head-scratcher and I don’t have any information beyond the fact that they have closed. I last wrote about the Double S Wine Bar just over a year ago when they were set to open at their new location on Magnolia Avenue. Everything seemed fine until a couple of weeks ago when dance groups (they were big in the Salsa and other dance world) reported that their events had been unexpectedly canceled. Google states the business is “permanently closed,” while social media accounts have gone silent. I’ve reached out to owner Steve Sansone, but haven’t gotten a response. I’ll let you know if I learn more.
Finally, a local music icon (who is not a musician), Benny Smith, long-time General Manager at WUTK has been placed on leave. No reasons have been given to the public by either Smith or UT. For those who may not know, Benny Smith has done as much as anyone to help local bands and musicians have a place to have their music played. He’s been a supporter of everything related to either UT or local music for many years and has helped many (testimonials are all over social media) find their footing at the start of their careers as student DJs.
Smith started at the station in 1985 (when the station was a baby) as a sophomore at UT, volunteering his time. After working at other stations, Smith returned to WUTK in 2004 and truly made the station what it is today — or at least into what it was until last week. In a strange, but perhaps related, move, the University also abruptly ended the long-term practice of community volunteers working at the station.
Wayne Bledsoe (another non-musician icon of the Knoxville scene, who served as the music critic at the Knoxville News Sentinel for decades) was informed thirty minutes before air time that his show would not be carried. Others have been similarly informed that they are not welcome and their shows, some of which have run for years, would no longer be welcome. The station will be run exclusively by staff and students. But not Benny, apparently. The social media presence is gone, though the station remains on the air.
The moves are frustrating on many levels, not the least of which is that Benny Smith is a talented, dedicated, hard-working person who has given his life to the station. The DJs and talk show hosts who have operated for years to build an audience will have to look elsewhere and start from scratch. Local bands no longer have an outlet for their music, other than those who fit the WDVX format. And a host of students have lost a great mentor.
I was honored to volunteer at the station for three years, hosting a Sunday morning talk show from 2016 to 2019. Benny approached me about doing the show with the idea of letting UT students (and others in the station’s 30 mile radius) know what was happening in downtown Knoxville. He was always interested in building connections in the community. As one of the many hundreds of volunteers who’ve worked at the station over the years, I can tell you I was there because of Benny and he is the glue that has made it happen there for the last twenty years.
I hope those who are in control do right by Benny, do right by the station, and do right by local musicians. As things stand, it looks like a black eye for the University.