The property where popular Cardin's Drive-In once stood is set to become home to a gas station.
Located at 8529 Asheville Highway, Cardin's was a Knoxville favorite for six decades. The restaurant was opened by Willie H. and Pauline Cardin in 1959, and was known for its burgers, dip dogs, fries, onion rings and milkshakes. It was open until midnight on Saturdays, and was a popular stop after baseball games and high school dances, or to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.
Michael Shane Smith wrote in to Knox News to inquire about what's happening at the site now. "I live in the community, and like everybody else around here I loved Cardin’s," he said. Smith has fond memories of his dad taking him and his brothe, to the restaurant for an ice cream
or milkshake treat, and said his stepdaughter was on staff there when it closed.
What's next for former Cardin's site?
The family listed the Cardin's property for sale in September 2018 for $2.5 million, Knox News reported that year. The price was lowered to $2.25 million in March 2019. The restaurant celebrated 60 years in business that April before its closure was announced in October 2019.
KGIS shows Priyanka and Bhavinkumar Patel bought the property for $425,000 in 2024, and in 2026, the ownership was changed to JAY19 LLC, which shares an address with the Patels. JAY 19 LLC also previously had a mailing address matching a Citgo gas station in Strawberry Plains. Currently, KGIS has the former Cardin's property listed as "B&K Food Mart."
In 2024, a rezoning request and development plan were filed by Priyanka Patel for the Cardin's site that mentioned a gas station. The CA (General Business) zone was approved, and a new building is under construction on the property.
Hayden Dunbar Evans is the storyteller reporter. Email: hayden.dunbar@knoxnews.com. Instagram: @knoxstoryteller.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What's that construction at the former Cardin's Drive-In property?
