With the line out the door nearly every weekend morning, OliBea opted to move to a larger space in Knoxville’s Old City. The existing building sat vacant until the upstairs was rehabilitated into a single-family residence, and the adjacent lot offered even more room to expand.
The addition added to the East side of the building houses the restaurant’s private dining and support programs—for example, the restrooms, office, and utility room. A patio is created by setting back the addition from the sidewalk. The clerestory windows on the addition’s front façade acts as a light well and provides extra light into the new dining area.
A kitchen was added to the rear of the existing building, and a small coffee bar along the storefront. The cookline has a large opening so you can see and smell the action. The front of house and patio can seat 85 people, which is nearly double the original location.
The interior color palette is largely determined by the restaurant’s established identity. The mint green is OliBea’s signature color and brightens the existing brick. The client commissioned artist friends to paint parts of the restaurant to add to the eclectic vibe.
Photography by Alyssa Nealon at nvelop AP.