From late October to mid to late December, depending upon where you would place the 18th on that spectrum, patrons of local coffee shop Remedy were left without the warmth of their usual latte or pour over in the quaint space Remedy previously occupied on Jackson Avenue.
Now located at 800 Tyson Street, the new Remedy has traded in their casual and rustic aesthetic for a much more modern and industrial one. Gray concrete floors meet white walls that rise up to an exposed wooden ceiling dangling with plentiful vintage light fixtures.
A mostly glass front wall runs perpendicular to the bar, located to the back left of the entryway. In any other direction, you’ll be pleased to find communal seating for large groups and extroverts, tables for one or two (from where I write this review) and a comfy looking couch that faces two equally comfy looking lounge chairs.
Apart from these interior differences and, of course, the new physical location, not much else has changed. Remedy still partners with Intelligentsia, a Chicago based roaster-retailer, to serve their coffee, and you’ll find recognizable folks behind the counter conjuring up some of the best beverages in K-town.
I can easily get behind the new location.
The emerging Downtown North area has a lot to offer. I welcome the modern aesthetic. It almost makes me forget that I’m in Knoxville, and I’m a fan of Intelligentsia for many reasons. But what prompted the move in the first place to warrant this directionless piece about Remedy anyway?
Well, it seems to partially have come down to money, but another contributing factor seems to be in part due to the ownership of Remedy.
The coffee shop is owned by Knoxlife Church, and is operated by its minister, Sean Alsobrooks and his wife, Sara. Independent from the church, the Alsobrooks have begun their own venture: Makers Donuts.
Yes, Knoxville, a made from scratch donut shop is in the works for our happy little city. Seriously though, the donut shop’s latest tweet is about “lots of donut testing” including flavors like matcha green tea with black salt as well as cherry with crushed pistachio. But, I digress.
The Alsobrooks were apparently already working to transform 800 Tyson Street into Makers Donuts when they began to entertain the thought of moving Remedy into the same space once their lease at Jackson Avenue ended. So there you have it. Dollars and sense seemed to have largely prompted the move.
Despite some clear changes, the coffee at the root of Remedy’s charm is still superb. In fact, I would go as far as to say that (although I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why) I believe the coffee to taste even better at the new locale.
Remedy Coffee offers a contemporary environment to escape the cold and enjoy a part of Scruffy City. They have wide ranges of coffee, tea and other treats.
