Knoxville will be painted with two shades of orange this weekend, but a new bar near the University of Tennessee campus knows which one burns brighter.
Big Orange Bar recently opened at 2126 Forest Ave., targeting students and customers who live just off the Strip. While Cumberland Avenue has no shortage of game day bars, the goal was to create an option closer to the neighborhoods where many students live and spend their time nearby, general manager Lizz Brown told Knox News.
The 30-seat bar was open and near capacity from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. for Tennessee's Sept. 19 game against Kennesaw State, and Brown is bracing for an even bigger challenge when No. 1 Texas marches into Neyland Stadium this Saturday.
"Vols fans are a different breed," she said.
Sam and Sameera Jiwani opened the bar last month in the space beside two of their other businesses: Fort Sanders Liquor Store and the One Stop Convenience Store. The young bar has a full alcohol menu and food, including burgers, wings, pizza and fried pickles.
The outdoor patio, which will add a fire pit in the winter, has space for cornhole and other yard games.
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: Knoxville's new Big Orange Bar is ready for Texas-Tennessee weekend
