Honeybee Cafe has always felt like a brewery despite being known primarily for its kickass coffee. From the thoughtfully detailed decor to the hip limited release locally roasted coffee, to the chill and charming staff and the social crowd this combination of things inevitably draws, this place is a cultural staple in the community. For this reason, it’s a thrill to know that the owner Norris Hill has partnered with Steve Dedman of Chisholm Tavern Brewery to launch the Honeybee’s very own brewing operation at the West Hills location on Kingston Pike.
If you’ve attended any of the local brew fests in the past several years (or all of them, as I have) you’ll inevitably have come across some of Steve’s hop forward homebrews under the name of Chisholm Tavern Brewery which was his original vision for the future home of his brews. As someone who has worked in the craft beer industry for years, I always think it’s a promising sign when you see brewers that are ambitious enough to take their beers to festivals before opening a physical location. It’s like a gesture of good faith on behalf of the brewer, giving the community a taste of what they’re made of and making a delicious promise to the community that there will be more to come. In Steve’s case, a strategic partnership with Honeybee will now be the avenue that this crafty promise will be fulfilled through and I honestly can’t wait. Norris Hill always envisioned the place becoming a brewery someday and in fact, for years Honeybee has served local craft beers in cans and on draft. The transition to a full-on local brewery will be a healthy addition to the developing craft beer community in Knoxville.
Unlike many startup breweries, Honeybee will have the competitive advantage of having already won the hearts of the community, something that unfortunately many young breweries struggle to achieve usually due to thoughtless branding or shortsighted business plans. There’s not a single facet of Honeybee’s operation that can be classified as shortsighted. From the beginning, this business has walked the walk and exemplified its values:
Source. Roast. Serve.
Of the three, Honeybee’s loyal following can be attributed mostly to the fundamental principles of service. Owner Norris Hill is a veteran and no stranger to the idea of serving others and that ethos of the mission to serve comes through tenfold in the sincerity of his skilled baristas and the curation of the unique and rich environment of each location.
“Upbeat” and “inclusive” are the two words I might use to describe Honeybee’s brand personality in a nutshell.
Those characteristics are what create value for their customers beyond the drinks themselves and what inspire locals such as myself to pass up the chain coffee store on the corner and drive the extra few minutes to enjoy the Honeybee environment. It’s also worth considering that, as awesome as rooftop bars and live music venues may be for their own reasons, places like this may not always be the greatest environment to catch up with close friends or get to know new acquaintances. This is another void that is filled by these quaint little watering holes and another aspect of why Honeybee locations have always had that “craft beer” feel to them. At Honeybee, you can sit comfortably, enjoy the natural light of the clear garage doors or even sit out on the open patios and soak up the sun while enjoying a latte or local brew. Places like this that encourage community, gathering, and just hanging out are going to be invaluable to the social rebuilding of communities everywhere in a post-pandemic era. Knoxville should be glad to have them.