Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Blackbird Coffeehouse

There's a new coffee shop in town. Blackbird Coffeehouse, opened its doors a few weeks ago and is located at 1208 Kenesaw Avenue in Sequoya Hills. I've been there twice now and would encourage you, if you don't live nearby, to take a little detour and try it out.

Blackbird is named after the Beatles song, as well as some of their menu items. I ordered a peppered chicken, avocado, and tomato sandwich named Sgt. Pepper's, which I think is charming. And, no, they don't just play Beatles songs inside. They actually
have an incredible, easy-to-read-to playlist going,
featuring artists like Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin,
and David Gray.

The inside is quaint with lavender in vases adorning the tables. It's got both the cool vibe of a coffee shop and the warmth of being in someone's home. But it's not just the lighting and color scheme that exude warmth. It's the owners as well.

I've had the privilege of knowing Ali ever since she moved here with Craig, her husband, last fall to open up Blackbird. They've jumped through a lot of hoops to get where they are, but they made it, and it is obvious they are pumped about it. And from what I can tell, their patrons are as well.

Upon observation, it seems like Craig and Ali know everyone that comes through their doors. I think they already have a solid base of regulars coming in, people who they've gotten to know, but I also get the feeling that whether they know you or not, they're going to treat you as if they do. And that makes me happy as a good cup of coffee.

3 comments:

lucas said...

in the two years that i lived across the street from there, i saw several restaurants come and go. hopefully enough people will take a detour to come to this place for it to stay in business, because it sounds great. if i still lived there, i would have a sandwich named after me in no time.

The Modern Gal said...

This is good to see. I've often marveled at how few independent coffee joints Knoxville has considering it's a college town. I'll try to throw my share of biz its way.

Anonymous said...

Beeson wrote a good review the day it opened here: http://knoxify.com/knoxvilles-blackbird-coffeehouse-opens-with-focus-on-coffee-comfort/