Knoxville — Urban, hipster, and everything in between. Knoxville is a unique city that is full of surprises.
Whether you’ve lived here your entire life or found your way to the Scruffy City later on, there are plenty of places hidden in plain sight you may have never known existed.
Everyone knows Maple Hall on Gay Street for its strikes and spares, but many are unaware that there's a room upstairs.
It's called The Parlor, and it aims to give guests an experience that differs from that of down below.
It opened eight months after the downstairs bowling alley, which opened two and a half years ago after a four-year renovation job, General Manager Ryan Sheley said.
"The building it's located in had been vacant since 1980, but it’s been an incredible journey to watch things come from where they were to where they are," he said.
The Parlor was built to surprise people and serve as a spot that differs from the bowling alley vibe.
“It is neat to see people come up here and they come in and their like holy cow! This is a completely different experience,” Sheley said.
The Parlor features a bar that has an elevated cocktail list with local inspirations, and hosts live music, TED talk-style events and even ghost hunts from time to time.
Whether folks are participating in a ghost hunt, listening to live music or watching a football game, Sheley said the bar and lounge is always busy.
“We’re just a place you can come on a date night or with a group of friends. Play a board game. Relax. Listen to some classic jazz, classic soul. We always have black and white movies on the tvs,” Sheley said.
Another untapped business is hidden in plain sight. An Asian-twist pub on Clinch Avenue is both savory and eclectic.
Kaizen is serving up a taste of eastern culture in East Tennessee. The business opened its doors in 2016, but not exactly with a bang.
“We opened under the radar,” Owner and Executive Chef Jesse Newmister said. “It just kind of reminded me like the small Ramen shops you see in Japan or Thailand. Those were big inspirations,” said Newmister.
The cuisine is far from traditional. Newmister said the style is an blend of both Southeast Asian and Japanese cuisine.
“Our most OG dish, if you will, is our Dan Dan noodles. It’s a chilled noodle dish with pork, soy sauce on top of it. It’s one of our more popular dishes,” Newmister said.
And if you’re taking a trip to the Old City, you may stumble upon a unique bar serving something other than spirits. The Gratitude Bar serves edible essential oil "Gratitinis" and "Gratipolitans."
“They’re not mocktails," owner and creator Jane Gorge said. "They’re not juice drinks. They are not sodas. They’re really for healing and well-being.”
Gorge said her hope is to educate people about natural and alternative health. Each drink contains two to four drops of organic essential oils, water and sugar.
“We call essential oil the blood of the plant. It has the name the energy and it tells us what that oil does,” Gorge said.
Along with the Gratitude Bar, Gorge tends a "Gratitude Garden" full of plants and herbs available for purchase.
“We’re trying to keep everything in this space to remind you of something you can be grateful for,” Gorge said.