ROCKY TOP, Tenn. — Almost 10 years after Rocky Top got its new name, businesses downtown are paying homage to its early roots with the Coal Creek name, while also trying to breathe new life in the area.
Coal Creek Coffee and Coal Creek General Store are located a block from each other on either side of Main Street in Downtown Rocky Top. Both businesses are less than a year old.
Jason Deel is a veteran and owns some properties in Rocky Top. His eyes are set on the future, and he hopes to make the town a destination spot.
"Down Main Street there's not a lot going on," Deel said. "Rocky Top was not run down overnight, and it won't be rebuilt overnight. It just takes time. Ultimately we want this to be a shopping district."
He owns Coal Creek General Store, which opened in September.
"That's the whole vision, is to bring the town back," Deel said. "Part of the reason for Coal Creek General Store is to have a reason to come downtown, to park and walk."
Already, the store boasts dozens of items made by locals in Rocky Top and across East Tennessee.
"We wanted a sense of pride within the community," Deel said. "We want something here you can't just go to a big box retail store or go online and purchase. This is about community."
Nikki and Jesse Dymond saw a need for a coffee shop in Rocky Top when they moved to the area. They said before Coal Creek Coffee, something like that didn't exist in the small town.
"The closest ones (coffee shops) around are in Clinton, Oak Ridge, LaFollette or even Knoxville," Jesse Dymond said. "We get a lot of tourist traffic from the interstate. It's a good mix because we have our regulars who come in as well."
New parents, Nikki and Jesse see a need for more development downtown, too. They're hoping this is the start of more local businesses joining them in Downtown Rocky Top.
"In the time that we have been open we've seen multiple businesses pop up," Dymond said.
They are also giving back to the community through several projects, including an upcoming car show, "Cars of the Creek" on May 18, and an art show on June 8th.