Brewery, restaurant planned for Market Street

July 31, 2024 by G. Chambers Williams III

Downtown Clinton could soon have its first brewery, which would also include a full-service restaurant, in the building now occupied by Granny’s Attic Antiques, at 341 Market St.

City Councilman Bryan Hatmaker, who already owns two Orange Hat Brewery locations in Knoxville, said late last week that he hopes to open his Clinton brewery and restaurant sometime next year.

“There will first have to be a demolition of much of the existing building to accommodate the brewery,” he said. “That should begin in January. The building now has a basement, so the main floor as it is now wouldn’t be able to carry the weight of the brewing equipment.”

He said he chose the Granny’s Attic building because “we wanted an outside presence, where we can have outdoor concerts, cornhole tournaments and other events and games we can fit in the area,” Hatmaker said. The building has a courtyard at the rear.

Rodney Ramin, his partner in Orange Hat Brewery, will be teaming up with him for the Clinton brewery as well, he said.

“I love the concept and I think it’s something the whole community can be proud of,” Hatmaker said.

The Clinton brewery won’t carry the Orange Hat name, though, Hatmaker said.

“We want to come up with a name that’s related to Clinton,” he said. “Our plans are tentative right now, so we’re still trying to work everything out.”

To make way for Hatmaker’s brewery, Granny’s Attic will be moving across the street and a bit to the east into the former space of E. Claire’s Coffee House, at 370 Market St., and The Rabbit Hole bar, at 364 Market St.

Those two businesses, which closed earlier this year, were in the same building, which was owned by James R. Younkin of Oak Ridge. His wife, Sheri Lynn Younkin, opened E. Claire’s Coffee House in March 2019, then followed with The Rabbit Hole in early September 2021.

Before that, since 2008, she had operated an event venue in the same building, called Elizabeth Claire’s Event Center.

There is a third space in the same building, on the west side, which is been renovated into a commercial kitchen in the rear, and a “pop-up” retail space in the front, the building’s new owner, WB Realty LLC., said.

Granny’s Attic has already begun a moving sale at its current location, and hopes to reopen in the new space on Sept. 1, owner Kathie Creasey said.

“It will be a hair smaller, but we can make it work,” Creasey said. “We wanted to stay downtown. Granny’s Attic started in the ‘80s in Oliver Springs, then moved to Solway, where it remained until we moved here in 2012.”

She won’t have the basement shop at the new location, either.

Just up the street and across the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks, WB Realty last week began a major gutting and rebuilding of the former Real Dry Cleaners building at 425 Eagle Bend Road to house the new Hamock’s Restaurant, which is supposed to open early next year.

Hamock’s Restaurant will be owned and operated by Jason and Danielle Hamock. the son and daughter-in-law of Darlene Hamock, owner of the former Hamock’s Perkadeli at 321 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., which closed in 2021.

Jason and Danielle Hamock said they plan to operate a full-service restaurant offering some of the same foods as the original Hamock’s.

But in the meantime, beginning Aug. 5, the Hamock’s said they will be selling some of their food, including Darlene Hamock’s locally popular chicken salad and specialty cakes, for takeout only from behind the Elizabeth Claire’s building, with access from Freddy Fagan Way.

Hamock’s Facebook post says the food will be available for pickup from that location from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Offered will be sandwiches, soups, cake slices, fudges, and cookies, according to the post.

As for the new Hamock’s, “It will be a full restaurant with a deli feel, like a McAlister’s, but with newer flavors and vibes” Jason Hamock said. “We will have sandwiches, soup, salads and coffees.”

Tentative days and hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to about 4 p.m. on Saturday, he said.

“We may even do tailgates on Saturday evenings for UT football games,” he said.

The Hamocks have been operating a food stand outside the Real Dry Cleaners building on occasion this summer, selling Darlene Hamock’s chicken-salad sandwiches and slices of her cakes.

That has been the site of the recent “Tasty Thursday” food truck rallies, which will continue through mid-August.