According to a press release this afternoon, Sweet P’s Downtown Dive will close June 15, while Sweet P’s Uptown Corner will continue operations at the Tazwell Pike location. Catering operations will also continue.
The restaurant opened ten years ago at 410 W. Jackson Avenue. Owner Chris Ford said the restaurant “will permanently close for business after service on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15, 2025.”
Similar to what others have said recently, he indicated that while business at the other location had increased, business at the downtown location has done the opposite. The catering business, which operates out of the Fountain City location has also done well. He indicated that increased downtown restaurant options may have played a part in the reduction of business, “Today, there are many more places to eat in downtown Knoxville than there were when we opened a decade ago.”
In the release he said:
We are so grateful to our many customers who have supported us over the past 10 years, and I personally am proud of our hard-working and dedicated staff. I would encourage everyone who has enjoyed the Downtown Dive experience to come see us one more time and show your appreciation to our great people by leaving them some good tips and then come check out the Uptown Corner for the same delicious food with table service and a full bar.”
From the press release:
Ford, a former musician and leader of the rock bands Gran Torino and Tennessee Power & Light, founded Sweet P’s in 2005 as a catering operation when he left the music business. Its first physical restaurant opened in 2009 as Sweet P’s Barbeque and Soul House in South Knoxville on the Little River. It was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Man vs. Food” in 2010 and on Food Network’s “United Tastes of America” in 2011. The South Knoxville location closed in 2021.
That same year, Sweet P’s Uptown Corner opened at the corner of Tazewell Pike and Jacksboro Pike, offering table service and a full bar for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. The concept has proven to be popular and successful in Fountain City, where it is located at 3029 Tazewell Pike.
Ford said he is reaching out to fellow restauranteurs to seek opportunities for the Downtown Dive’s employees.
With the closure, downtown has seen several restaurants close or announce their closing in recent days. Sweet P’s joins Frothy Monkey a couple of weeks ago and Babalu just yesterday.