The owners of Fiori Bar & Lounge are gearing up to open a "sexy, romantic escape" just across the street in downtown Knoxville.
Jesse and Corey Vose are planning another high-end Old City cocktail lounge in the former home of Bethie Lou's Fabulous Gift Store, which closed earlier this year at 108 E. Jackson Ave.
Sidecar Cocktail Lounge aims to build off the momentum and success the business and life partners have brought to the Old City since 2024 when they opened Fiori, now one of downtown's premier nightlife destinations.
The new cocktail lounge is still far from opening, Jesse told Knox News in an email, but the project is moving along. Construction will start on the new space once plans submitted to the city are approved, he said.
Jesse described
the new venture as a "dark, intimate and sophisticated cocktail lounge" that will feature moss and olive-green seating, plush couches, a 22-foot cocktail bar, floral accents, draperies and warm lighting.
"We're creating a sexy, romantic escape where couples, friends and visitors can unwind over handcrafted cocktails in an atmosphere unlike anything else in the area," he said. "If you think Fiori is beautiful, just wait until you see what we have planned for Sidecar."
What other bars we know are coming to the Old City
We know of three more cocktail bars opening in the Old City, plus a honky-tonk music venue:
- House of Strays, coming to the former Postmodern Spirits space at 205 W. Jackson Ave., will have a performance focus that builds on owner A.J. Tierney's theater, production and bartending backgrounds.
- The Jaguar Room is scheduled to open at the end of the summer in what used to be Riverside Tattoo Company, which moved to South Knoxville. Owner Tyler Measley's avant-garde cocktail bar will focus on "old-school Latin American" drinks with Japanese influence, he said, and the bar bites will have Cuban roots.
- The owners of Brother Wolf, Lilou Brasserie and Osteria Stella are bringinganother elevated cocktail bar to Knoxville that will replace Rala, a local gift shop that closed at the end of 2025.
- Country Roadis opening in the former Double S Wine Bar space at 300 W. Magnolia Ave. The country music venue is backed by Justin Mangelsdorf, who helped open nearby Alchemy Lounge and Cigar on South Central Street.
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: Fiori owners plan 'sexy, romantic' downtown Knoxville cocktail lounge | Exclusive
