Calhoun's Restaurant bringing new dining option, 75 to 100 jobs to Maryville
By Iva Butler | (ivab@thedailytimes.com)
The Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants announced today
that a Calhoun’s Restaurant will be locating in the former Marlin and Ray’s restaurant on Watkins
Road in Maryville, bringing with it 75 to 100 jobs.
The new eatery will be
located beside Smoky Mountain Brewery, another restaurant in the Copper Cellar family, which is in
the same retail development as the Target and Kroger stores just off the U.S. 129
Bypass.
Bart Fricks, chief operating officer of the Copper Cellar chain,
said he would like to open the new restaurant in late summer or early fall, depending upon when the
architectural drawings are completed and the city of Maryville approves the plans. The project
architect is Daryl Johnson of Knoxville.
Fricks envisions constructing a
deck on the back side of the current structure and adding a banquet room on the
side.
The building first housed a Ruby Tuesday, and then Marlin and Ray’s,
which closed last January.
Having a Calhoun’s beside a Smoky Mountain
Brewery is a natural fit,” Fricks said. “People can dine at Calhoun’s and then go next door and
enjoy a microbrew at Smoky Mountain Brewery, It just works well.” There are three other locations
where the two restaurants are side by side.
Maryville City Manager Greg
McClain agreed, saying he expects Calhoun’s will “flourish” in that location since it can share a
parking lot with its sister restaurant.
There are four Smoky Mountain
Breweries and this will be the ninth Calhoun’s restaurant.
Other Calhoun’s
are located in Knoxville, Lenoir City, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and
Nashville.
The Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants also operates Copper
Cellar, the first eatery, Chesapeake’s and Cherokee Grill and Steakhouse.
