MOVING: LOX SALON
We’ll start unpacking all that by announcing that Lox Salon, after fifteen years at their current location and nineteen total years in the Old City, is moving to 900 East Hill Avenue. They will still be nearby (just off Summit Hill where it turns into Dandridge), but the new location will be different in several respects from the current location at 103 West Jackson Avenue. I spoke to owner Brynn Crowell about the move and the coming changes.
The new shop, she said, will offer her a chance to simplify her operation, moving from her current twelve chairs down to just four. She plans to go “back to her roots” focusing on hair and holistic care. The new space gives her a chance to have a lower lease rate and offer parking to her customers, which she said is a big deal at the moment. She said she’s lost customers who feel, with the increased prices of parking due to the opening of the stadium, they can’t afford to continue in the Old City.
Services previously offered will continue, but she’s recently added a new skill set with Electromagnetic Frequency Therapy to treat conditions like hair loss and eczema, which she will incorporate at the new location. Overall, she simply thinks she’d like to step back into a smaller, less stressful practice. She said the hours should be relatively unchanged and she’s working to make the new shop have a similar feel.
Of the Old City she said, “I’ve seen the ebb and flow of the Old City. It will eventually figure it out and it will be completely different.” She’s ready to move on, though she will miss the old space. The current shop closes May 28 and she’ll reopen at the new location on June 17. Expect a grand reopening celebration soon afterward.
The space being vacated at 103 West Jackson will soon be filled with a new business. Look for details on that tomorrow.
STAYING PUT: THE BACK POCKET
It seemed worth mentioning that The Back Pocket, located downstairs from Lox Salon is doing great and will remain open. I first wrote about them nearly a year ago when partners and co-owners Natalie Sakaan and Javier Killefer opened the shop featuring vintage clothing and clothing made with re-purposed fabrics. I checked back in with Natalie who assured me that they are not only staying in the location, they are thriving. They’ve added lots more stock, Javier is branching out into new creations, and they could not be happier in their location. Happy First Anniversary!
CLOSING: LANDING HOUSE
Co-owner Zach Land announced late Sunday that Landing House on Sevier Avenue, which opened in July 2017, will serve its last meal on June 8th. The Asian restaurant offered something completely different for the south Knoxville and downtown area and enjoyed success out the gate. They weathered the pandemic along with the normal obstacles restaurants face, but they “reached a point where it would be better to leave on our own terms that be forced to close in the future.”
Zach notes that “business has grown every year,” but “much has changed, and with that change brings new problems to confront. While we have weathered many obstacles over the years, we feel that we have reached a point where it would be better to leave on our own terms than be forced to close in the future.” He doesn’t mention the reasons they might be forced to leave in the future, but a simple look at their location reveals a large construction project in front of their business which restricts access from most directions. This comes on the heels of the closure of the Gay Street Bridge, which has been difficult for all the businesses on that stretch of Sevier Avenue.
Zach said that he and Hao were excited to bring something different to an emerging part of their neighborhood. In the end, he said:
However, as hard as it may be, it does have plenty of rewards. Namely, in working with some of the most genuinely lovely people we have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Our staff has changed quite a bit over time, but the last five years or so we have had a solid and dedicated crew that kept us going . . . We would also like to thank all of our customers. Our business has grown substantially every year we have been open, and that is due to your loyal patronage and word of mouth, which means the world to us. Once again, thank you Knoxville, and especially South Knoxville, for all your support.
CLOSED: TREE OF LIFE SALON DOWNTOWN LOCATION (But Moving to Bearden)
33 Market Square has hosted a salon for as long as I’ve lived downtown. For years, the spot was home to Barnes and Barnes before being replaced with Tree of Life several years ago. At one point, Market Square played host to two salons, but now will have none, as Tree of Life has closed its downtown location, leading to a prime Market Square spot becoming available. The business will reopen in Bearden at Gables West. Which leads to . . .
EXPANDING: STOCK AND BARREL
Rampant rumors that a nearby business would take over the Tree of Life proved to be true. I spoke to Bill Angelos, owner of Stock and Barrel has taken the space, with plans for expanding their footprint. He said, as anyone knows who tries to get a table there during lunch or dinner hours, they’ve outgrown their space and did so in the very early days of their tenure in the spot. The restaurant opened in 2013, and has enjoyed, what is in the restaurant industry, an impressive twelve-year run.
When Barnes and Barnes vacated the adjacent space they considered taking it, but the timing didn’t seem right. With the departure of Tree of Life, it felt like an obvious move to make. That said, Angelos explained that we should not expect to see the interior of Tree of Life immediately become something different. Most of the interior space will be used to make the restaurant more functional.
They intend to expand their currently very small prep kitchen into the rear of the new space and to expand their storage capacity which has also been limited. Both should enable staff to work more efficiently. What will be obvious is that the outdoor seating will expand from the front of Stock and Barrel to include the front of the adjacent space. Railings have been purchased and permits are pending. That should happen very soon.
The complication with expanding seating into the interior of 33 Market Square is the presence of a stairwell running between the two to the space above Stock and Barrel. Angelos said that will require some architectural help and it simply isn’t a project for which they currently have the bandwidth.