Alexander Braden grew up eating hearty meals at Long's Drug Store until the store and restaurant closed more than two years ago. Now he plans to take over the space for something new.
Long's Drug Store was one of Knoxville's oldest drug store/restaurant combinations, providing burgers, milkshakes and prescriptions starting in 1956.
Clarence Long first opened the restaurant and drugstore with fellow pharmacist John Benson, Knox News previously reported. The business was sold to Jim Peck in the 1960s after Long died, and was maintained by Hank Peck and the Peck family until the pairing of pharmacy and old-fashioned soda fountain closed in 2024.
Now, Braden is bringing Restwell, a sleep wellness storefront, to the former Long's space at 4604 Kingston
Pike. The new store will be a branch of the Bradens Furniture brand, which has been in Knoxville since 1956.
Restwell will open on Nov. 1, Braden told Knox News. The store's goal is to reinvent people's sleep environment with less technology and higher-quality materials.
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"We design sleep environments. Not showrooms. Not warehouses," the website says. "Restwell is built on a simple conviction: how you sleep is shaped by what surrounds you: the materials, the craft, the science and the care behind every choice. We curate what we believe in, explain why, and let you decide."
The store will sell mattresses and items to improve bedroom air quality, lighting and sound to give customers a good night's rest.
"Your bedroom should be focused around natural materials," Braden said. "Sleep impacts so much of your life."
Restwell is working with Smee + Busby Architects in Knoxville to design a storefront that feels like "an anti mattress store," he said.
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: What's that replacing Long's Drug Store in Bearden? | Exclusive
