Vienna Coffee Co.’s Knoxville location brews future plans
By Lee Zimmerman
Fans of the sitcom “Friends” likely will recall the characters’ favorite gathering spot, a New York City coffeehouse cleverly dubbed Central Perk. It had all the makings of an ideal informal destination, one where the friends could gather and discuss their everyday mishaps and misadventures.
In real life, coffeehouses serve the same purpose: They exist as places where folks can catch up with their friends and fellow workers and share stories. To that extent, Vienna Coffeehouse has cemented itself as a landmark in downtown Maryville, a distinction it earned not long after it opened in its present location in 2013. A year ago, owner and proprietor John Clark decided to take the concept for his business to Knoxville, opening a second location, Vienna Coffee at the Regas Building, at 318 N. Gay St. in the iconic former restaurant situated at the intersection of Magnolia Avenue and Gay.
At the time, it seemed like a good gamble. The area was in the beginning stages of undergoing massive urban renewal efforts. Among the renovations were to be new upscale housing and a variety of boutique retail shops that promised to make the long-neglected neighborhood a destination for foot traffic, as well as a spot for those who love java to congregate.
However, while progress has been made, the construction continues at a slow pace, and the work that was supposed to be near completion this month shows no definitive end in sight. It’s frustrating, of course, because despite Vienna’s well-appointed environs – boasting both ample space for sipping on quality coffee and an outdoor communal area – the location remains relatively isolated, stymied by the ongoing efforts to complete the nearby work in progress.
“We were originally told it would open in November 2018,” Clark says. “So we fully expected to struggle for a while. That’s fine, but now they’re telling us construction won’t be completed until spring. Yet it looks like they still have a lot to do.”
Clark says he’s determined to wait it out, feeling confident that business will pick up once the neighbourhood is revived and that his Knoxville locale will achieve a similar level of success as his Maryville establishment, which also is where his Vienna Coffee Co. brews its 80 blends intended for wholesale distribution. In the meantime, progress is slow, but the fact that the Regas Building is home to several nonprofit organizations allows Clark to cater to the various gatherings that tend to take place in the meeting rooms located onsite.
Several coffeehouses populate the neighborhoods adjacent to Vienna Coffee at the Regas Building, and Clark is encouraged by their continuing popularity. Vienna, though, has the advantage of serving exclusive varieties roasted with beans imported from growers in South America and Africa. It also offers a new flavor every month, with variety and originality being key criteria.
In time, Clark hopes to make his new site a home for tastings and live music, as well as a place where the local community can assemble. (There was precedent for that, too, as the Regas Building for many years was home to the Gathering Place, a well-known restaurant.) Clark was encouraged to move into the 3,000-square-foot space by Chris Martin, president of the Knoxville Leadership Foundation and a proponent of refurbishing the cavity of the edifice, the infrastructure of which already was in place. The rustic interior and ample seating area are obviously ideal, and a row of large windows that lines one of the exterior walls one day will offer expansive views of an entirely reconstructed neighborhood.
Clark says he already is scouting a possible third location for Vienna in South Knoxville, as well, hoping that he can someday expand his coffee kingdom to include a total of five stores. For the time being, however, it is a matter of wait-and-see. Fortunately, Clark isn’t afraid of taking risks. A former waste-management supervisor, he lived for a time in San Francisco where he developed a joy for joe and became something of a coffee connoisseur. “You could find a great coffee shop on every corner,” he recalls.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, he eventually opted to leave his day job in 2002 and return to East Tennessee. He then began brewing java in his garage for friends and family. Encouraged to turn his hobby into a professional pastime, he began studying the coffeehouse concept in earnest after referencing a book by Ray Oldenburg called “The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Bars, Hair Salons, and Other Hangouts at the Heart of a Community.” The premise suggested that there are three prime locations in the average individual’s daily life: home, the workplace and the places where people gather and connect.
It was with that idea in mind that Clark decided to launch the original Vienna Coffeehouse in 2010 at what is now Public House on High in Maryville. At the same time, interest also grew in his wholesale business, which several surveys now single out as among the best brews in Tennessee – and the whole of the U.S., for that matter.
Nevertheless, Clark’s focus is specifically on East Tennessee. “It’s important to relate to the community that you’re a part of,” he says, highlighting one reason why the Maryville location is home to fundraisers, professional groups and social events. “It’s important to provide a space where people can come and hang out with their friends.”
That’s the goal for Vienna’s new home in Knoxville, and while Clark had hopes that it would be better established by now, he says he remains undeterred. “If we were to give up now, it would be premature,” he insists. “I have no doubt we made the right move because I know this area will eventually be developed. It was important to get in early, and fortunately the landlord is working with us to help make this feasible for us in these early stages. He knew we would be good operators, and he understood the potential for what we plan to do here.”
