Johnson City-based brewery to open Knoxville franchise this month
I think that we all are a bit skeptical of yet another beer-centric venture opening in or near downtown. So in speaking to Charles Ellis, general manager of the new Yee-Haw Brewing tasting room at 745 N. Broadway, I ask him, “Dude, I live 1.2 miles from here, and I would have to walk by six breweries and a cider house to come here; why should I?”
“The facilities,” Ellis chuckles, adding, “We will have something that isn’t offered anywhere else in East Tennessee that I know of, with our outdoor beer garden and stage, the number of casks and flavors we have and the quality of product. We want to add to the neighborhood, not take away from anyone else.”
Community is at the heart of everything Ellis hopes to accomplish at Yee-Haw. He wants it to be a neighborhood spot that also attracts folks from suburban areas like Farragut. He would like Yee-Haw to be the best place at which to work in the area. And he wants to be a good corporate neighbor whose enterprise also benefits surrounding businesses. “A rising tide lifts all boats is a cliché for a reason,” he says. “The more you can offer a wider group of people, the better chance you have. It’s all about inclusivity.”
Ellis pictures Yee-Haw as a place with something for everyone. Large TVs, both indoors and out, will cover major sporting events. There will be an outdoor music stage and a smaller one inside. They will have over 40 beers on tap but also will offer non-alcoholic beers (through a partnership with Best Brands). They will have a full liquor and wine bar, as well as a selection of mocktails. Outdoors will feature games such as shuffleboard, foosball, ping-pong and cornhole.
There were significant delays is getting the project running, as Ellis has had the keys for more than two years now. However, there was an unexpected amount of planning, undertaking renovations, acquiring permits and such, as well as several unexpected major repairs – including completely gutting and replacing the existing kitchen and restrooms – that stalled progress. With that work completed, though, they now are set for an official opening date of January 28. The week before will feature several soft openings, including two friend-and-family nights, an industry night and a neighbors’ night. The brewery will be open until 1 a.m. on Mondays for an industry night (with karaoke), 10 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and midnight the remaining nights of the week.
Beer, says Ellis, is one of the things Elkmont Exchange did well, and Yee-Haw has retained their brewmaster, Chris Meadows, as well as most of their equipment. They will feature 24 taps inside, 20 outside, two kegerators and four taps at the food counter. “I will have a lot of bartenders behind those bars,” says Ellis, the idea being to eliminate service issues by having enough places to buy beer that one shouldn’t have to wait in line long.
With this being the seventh Yee-Haw franchise, the Knoxville location will have the benefit of serving beers from all the other existing locations. However, they plan to craft experimental and special brews here, as well. They inherited two large foeders, cheekily named Helen and Ethel, which will be used for bulk aging sour beers. They also have a mash filter, which squeezes the raw beer product to ensure 100 percent efficiency and which can make true wheat beers and wheatwine (a type of beer in spite of the name) that Ellis is excited about.
For food, they have hired Matt Boyd, a Culinary School of America graduate who was previously the executive chef at Club LeConte. Some parts of the menu are still in flux, but they plan to serve usual pub grub like burgers, wings and sandwiches. “No boneless wings,” though, says Ellis. “Because that’s not a thing.” They have an extraordinary black bean burger, will bake their own pretzels and will offer plenty of vegan and vegetarian sandwiches.
For music, they have contracted with Born & Raised Productions to book three to four seasonal shows a month at the 700-person capacity outdoor stage. “We want to really surprise people with the breadth of what we offer,” says Ellis. “There are a lot of unserved niches we hope to hit.” These shows start early in the spring, and Ellis hopes to offer some free shows out there, as well. On the indoor stage, Jessica Watson will be booking an Americana brunch on Saturdays and a jazz brunch on Sundays.
