Knoxville said goodbye to a local bubble tea shop, while welcoming more ramen, coffee and dirty sodas.
- Hey Bear Cafe closed its location inside Kern's Food Hall.
- Tsukimi Ramen opened ramen and milk tea restaurant in Farragut.
- Brew Krew Coffee opens second location, its first in Knoxville.
Here's a deeper look at some of the latest news from Knoxville's restaurant scene.
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Hey Bear Cafe closes its Kern's Food Hall shop
Hey Bear Cafe was one of the first vendors to open inside Kern's Food Hall when it debuted more than two years ago, and now the bubble tea shop has closed its location at the South Knoxville food hall. Hey Bear continues to operate its main brick-and-mortar location on Middlebrook Pike, as well as a mobile food truck.
Taiwan native Vicky Shyr started selling bubble tea out of her family's
business, Sunrise Supermarket, years ago. She grew her reach into a two-acre property on Middlebrook Pike.
“In Taiwan, we would find places to hang out and drink bubble tea,” Shyr previously told Knox News. “Instead of saying ‘hey, let’s drink some coffee,’ most of the time we’d say ‘hey, let’s have some bubble tea.’"
Shyr also is behind the local Kyuramen, a chain ramen restaurant with locations nationwide, that opened in 2025.
Tsukimi Ramen opening storefront in Farragut
Tsukimi Ramen, a new Japanese-inspired restaurant with handmade ramen and milk tea, opened at 133 Brooklawn St. this week. It is located near CM Chicken and the French Market Creperie in Farragut.
"We believe great food does not need to feel complicated. It should be warm, satisfying, and made with care," its website says. "Every recipe is refined with patience, every bowl prepared to order, and every detail thoughtfully considered. We believe great ramen is always worth the wait."
Right now, the restaurant is in the soft opening phase from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. through Oct. 19, according to its Instagram. Because its recipes are slow-simmered for eight hours, Tsukimi Ramen will only be serving 60 bowls a day during the soft opening.
Maryville-based Brew Krew Coffee expands to Knoxville
A coffee shop serving wild lattes and dirty sodas has landed in Knoxville after finding success in Maryville. Brew Krew Coffee recently opened at 215 Brookview Centre Way in the former Petty Coffee space, which closed in December.
The shop makes drinks like a banana cream dirty Dr. Pepper, iced honey vanilla latte with blackberry cold foam and a dirty Fanta blood orange punch. Brew Krew posts most of the shop's drink recipes on social media.
The coffee shop also has a location in Maryville at 197 Foothills Mall Drive.
Knox News reporter Joanna Hayes covers restaurants and retail for the business growth and development team. Email: joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com; Instagram: @knoxeat65. Sign up for Joanna's Eat65 email newsletter to get the latest drink and dining news, as well as restaurant recommendations, at knoxnews.com/newsletters.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: As ramen opens in Farragut and dirty sodas pop in Bearden, a Hey Bear Cafe closes
