Casey Stone always dreamt of being a barista, but now they are going one step further and opening the newest coffee shop in South Knoxville.
Stone and their partner, Zoey, are the owners behind Stone's Throw Coffee, which opens at the end of October. The coffee shop is inside the former South Press Cafe space
, a South Knoxville anchor for the city's LGBTQ+ community that closed last year at 3615 Chapman Highway.Stone said becoming a barista was always part of the plan, and serving as a safe space for everybody is what makes opening Stone's Throw so important.
"I was in theater for 20 years. I have a shaved head and tattoos. I use they, them. I was destined to be a barista. There was no other career path," Stone said with a laugh. "But a more
serious answer is I really enjoy being a quick snapshot of people's lives. ... I love being a moment, being a safe space for a stranger."
The couple, who met at Club XYZ and were married 10 months later, share the same passion for coffee, even though they didn't know becoming business owners was in their future.
"It was like the universe had been waiting for us," Zoey said.
The space will have a stage for drag shows, slam poetry, author readings and more. Toward the back, their daughter is helping design a sensory room with pillows, books and games for "people who are feeling overwhelmed or overstimulated or just need a second to breathe."
Every detail inside the shop is intentional, Zoey said, from the layout and decorations to the menu and branding. The coffee shop's name is a nod to their last name, as well as the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
The couple toured several locations in South Knoxville, and initially didn't want to move into the former South Press building.
"We wanted to separate ourselves from South Press," Stone said. "While we respect the heritage and the foundation laid by South Press, we are something entirely different."
They want to build off what South Press created and continue its legacy as an anchor in Knoxville.
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: Stone's Throw Coffee opening this month as 'safe space for a stranger'
