With 2025 nearly upon us, the Knoxville restaurant scene is already heating up with new concepts planned for the new year. That includes the possibility for new
chains Knoxville has been craving, along with some expansions that could bring familiar brands closer to you. Throughout the year, be sure to check Knox News regularly for the latest restaurant news, including stories from our new restaurant and retail reporter
Joanna Hayes, who in her first few weeks wrote about
the reopening of Willy's Butcher Shop and the introduction of both
Crispy Cones and
Jim 'N Nick's BBQ to the Knoxville scene. In this roundup, we'll cover some of the most exciting restaurants planning to open in Knoxville next year.
New Knoxville restaurants, new locations coming in 2025
Aubrey's will open a new Lenoir City location at 375 Town Creek Parkway. Southern Living shouted out the Tennessee-favorite brand as
the state's No. 1 locally owned restaurant in 2023 . The restaurant is expected to open at the new location in February 2025, replacing the Lenoir City Aubrey's that has closed. Aubrey's menu includes fish, steaks, chicken, burgers, soups and salads.
In 2025, Flying Biscuit Café will open its first Tennessee location at 11683 Parkside Drive in Farragut.
Flying Biscuit Café started in 1993 at Candler Park on the east side of Atlanta and can now be found in 34 states, according to its website. The menu is built around breakfast dishes made in a Southern cooking style and features honey butter chicken and waffles, French toast and lunch options, including a chicken club wrap. Vegetarian and vegan options also are available.
In another entry from
Knox News readers' "wish list" of cravings , Knoxville could be adding Golden Corral in 2025. A Golden Corral buffet is slated to open in Knoxville in 12-18 months, said
David Conklin , a chief development officer for the chain.
Golden Corral started in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1973. The company plans to bring three new locations to the area: one in Maryville, one near Fountain City and one on Kingston Pike near Farragut. Golden Corral has eight locations in Tennessee.
Jim 'N Nick's BBQ actually opened just before the end of 2024 at 7727 Kingston Pike, across from West Town Mall. Jim 'N Nick's already had
six restaurants in Tennessee, but this the chain's only Knoxville location.
Jim 'N Nick's BBQ began its journey in 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama, according to its website, and now boasts a menu that includes pulled pork, smoked wings, chicken tenders, ribs, burgers and a variety of Southern sides. If you've ever wanted to get chicken strips from Raising Cane's but didn't want to deal with the hassle of the Strip, you're in luck. Raising Cane's is adding a second Knoxville location by the end of January at 7723 Kingston Pike. The chicken chain has eight
Tennessee restaurants and three more in the works, including the one on Kingston Pike restaurant. The restaurant
started in 1997 in a renovated bread bakery at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. The menu consists of chicken fingers, a chicken finger sandwich, fries and cole slaw. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen and Bar will open a Farragut location in 2025. Its three restaurants already open in Tennessee include a prominent downtown Knoxville spot at 1 Market Square. The restaurant considers itself a
"revival of southern food ," primarily from the Carolina mountains. It started in 2000 in Ashville, North Carolina. The menu includes soups, fried chicken, chicken and waffles, desserts, brunch options and a variety of sides like stone-ground goat cheese grits and bacon braised collards, according to the website.
Fans of Whataburger can look forward to
the chain's first Knoxville location, tentatively opening in 2025 at a yet-to-be-announced location. The Texas-founded fast food chain dates back to 1950 and serves burgers, breakfast biscuits, fries, onion rings and more. Whataburger has 21 Tennessee restaurants listed on its website, and a recent informal survey by Knox News found it was one of the most-requested chains readers wanted to see in Knoxville.
Yummy Bowl plans to open its first Knoxville location at the former home of Cici's Pizza at 8414 Kingston Pike. The multicultural Asian restaurant' has a menu that incorporates Mongolian stir-fry, Japanese ramen, premium sushi, and Korean fried chicken. Knox News has not confirmed when the restaurant will open.
