Four Kingston Pike Regulars Closed This Summer, Each With Its Own Story

Between mid-July and mid-September, four Bearden food and coffee spots on Kingston Pike closed. Denton's Burgers & Fun Foods went first, then Plum Tree Chinese Restaurant, Intrepid Nitro Coffee and Tea Bar, and Nixon's Deli #11. On a drive from Sutherland Avenue to West Hills, that's a lot of familiar signs going dark in one season.

Put the four side by side and the "Bearden is changing" story gets harder to tell. Their circumstances had little in common. One closed as a family decision, one because the owners retired, one after a lease negotiation broke down, and one closed its Bearden shop while keeping its Hardin Valley location open. One of the four buildings already has a new owner and a new restaurant planned, and a new Italian market is on the way nearby on Homberg Drive.

The Four Closings, Side by Side

The details matter more than the count.

Knox News reported that Denton's, the spot with the bright orange roof near Cook Out, closed over the weekend before its July 20 story. The family's Facebook post called it "the best for our family, and the business." The orange drinks, funnel cakes and corn dogs didn't go away with the building. The Denton family has been part of Knoxville's food scene since 1946, and the brand is going back to the fairs and festivals where it started.

Plum Tree had been open since the 1980s, and its current owners had run it since 2007. WVLT reported that they decided to retire and closed for good on July 31. The station also reported that once word got out, so many customers came in to say goodbye that the small crew could barely keep up.

Knox News reported that Intrepid's last day at 5201 Kingston Pike was Aug. 16. The business is still open in Hardin Valley.

Nixon's Is the One That Wanted to Stay

Nixon's is the only one of the four that didn't choose to leave. The #11 shop sat between Buddy's Bar-b-q and Calloway's Lamp & Shade for about 35 years. Its last steamed sandwiches went out at 5 p.m. on Sept. 10. The deli's own announcement, which is still on its website, was direct about it:

"We want you to know that this decision was not ours. We would have preferred to remain in this location and continue serving you here."

WVLT reported the owner's account: a new landlord took over the building, proposed a rent increase of about 20 percent during talks on a long-term lease, and the talks ended. The deli also posted a flyer telling customers the closing had nothing to do with how the business was doing.

Nixon's says it's still looking for a new home in Bearden and will share the address and opening timeline once it has them. Until then, there are two other Nixon's shops: #4 at 230 N. Peters Road and #6 at 508 Merchant Drive. The brand has been around Knoxville since the early 1970s. Knox News noted that Matt Brooks and his father bought it in 2003.

Nixon's is also the closing that has gotten the "Bearden is getting too expensive" reading. Taken alone, it might support that. Next to a family stepping back, a retirement and a coffee shop closing one of its two locations, it's one lease negotiation, and the business at the center of it is trying to come back to the neighborhood.

Who Is Moving In

One of the four buildings has a plan, and a brand-new business is coming a few blocks away.

At the old Plum Tree building, 7052 Kingston Pike, the new owner took over on Aug. 1. The former owner told WVLT the plan was a Thai-and-sushi restaurant, a renovation of about two months, and a reopening "on November." No name has been announced, so for now this is an expected opening, not a date to plan around. Of the four buildings, it's the one most likely to have new food inside before the end of the year.

A little off Kingston Pike, Il Mercato is coming to 5440 Homberg Drive near Lululemon. Knox News reported that co-owners Annette Morejon and Eddy Perez are planning 3,000 square feet with 70 seats inside and out. The plans include a pasta station, a pizza station, a cannoli bar, a gelato cart and a deli serving paninis. The shelves will carry breads, pastas, cheeses, meats and cookies sourced from Italy, plus products from local partners such as Tesoro in the Old City. Knox News gave the opening as late 2026 or early 2027. Il Mercato's own site says "Opening Fall 2026." Either way, it's close.

The biggest change of hands this summer came before any of the closings. In its July 2 weekly review, the Knox County Register of Deeds reported that Western Plaza at 4315 Kingston Pike sold for $65 million, from WP General Partnership to IVT Western Plaza Knoxville 1031, LLC. The office said it hadn't seen a commercial sale that size in quite some time that wasn't a multi-unit residential complex. The Register of Deeds noted that Fresh Market, Jos. A. Bank and Runners Market anchor the center on long-term leases, and DosBros Fresh Mexican Grill is a tenant too. The grocery, the running store and the burrito spot you know are still there.

The First Week of November Shows What's Growing

The four closings were all food and coffee spots on the main road. For the other side of Bearden, look at the independent shops on Shopapalooza's participating-shop list.

Shopapalooza 2026 runs Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 5 to 7. It's billed as a kickoff to holiday shopping at local Bearden shops, with a gift card giveaway. About three dozen shops are taking part, including Jesse's Butcher Shop, Seed Coffee Co., Finch Table + Home, Loopville, Glass Bazaar, Southern Market, The District Gallery, Twig Children's Boutique, Whimsy Cookie Co. and The Happy Envelope, which hosts the event page.

Four of those shops are marked as new for 2026:

• Blair House Antiques
• Bon Bons
• Skin Solutions
• The Hive Bookshop

The same summer Kingston Pike lost four longtime food spots, Bearden's main independent shopping event grew its list. And Sweet Pea will run a pop-up inside The Happy Envelope during the event.

Planning Your Next Few Weeks Around It

The rest of fall comes down to a few dates and some open questions:

1. Thursday, Nov. 5, through Saturday, Nov. 7: Shopapalooza at participating Bearden shops. Starting with the four new names on the list is the quickest way to see what's new in the neighborhood.
2. Mondays in November: The Legacy Parks calendar lists social runs leaving from Bearden Beer Market on Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, and they continue every Monday in December.
3. Sometime in November: The Thai-and-sushi restaurant at 7052 Kingston Pike is expected to open, if the former owner's timeline holds.
4. Late fall or early winter: Il Mercato on Homberg Drive.
5. Whenever it's announced: Nixon's new Bearden address. The Nixon's website is where the deli has said it will post the news.

Denton's corn dogs will turn up at the fair. Peters Road and Merchant Drive will keep the steamer running until Nixon's finds a new spot. 5716 Kingston Pike and 5201 Kingston Pike are the two addresses on this summer's list with no announced next tenant.

I keep a running list of which Bearden storefronts have changed hands, what's going in and when, and that's also what sellers here should know before they list. If you're thinking about selling a Bearden home and want to know how this stretch of Kingston Pike looks to buyers walking through your front door right now, Krista Freshour would be glad to go through it with you. List With Krista.