Renovation sparks new business rejuvenation
Renovations to Farragut’s West End Center have drawn four new businesses to the shopping center off Kingston Pike.
McEntire & Mayes Interiors, East Tennessee Spine & Sport Physical Therapy, Farmers Insurance and EXIT Realty have moved in to the western end of the shopping center. Don Delfi’s Pancake House & Restaurant, located in the former Meksiko Cantina building, opened Dec. 9.
“I think the remodeling has helped [attract the businesses],” Tommy Vann, one of the property owners and partner with Sam Mishu of M & M Development in Farragut, said.
The shopping center was built in the 1980s. Earlier this year, its owners gave the development a facelift with town of Farragut’s architectural guidelines in mind. The facelift was completed in February 2016.
The mother-daughter team of Linda McEntire and Melissa McEntire-Mayes had moved their business, McEntire & Mayes Interiors, to West End Center by Dec. 15. McEntire-Mayes said they are planning an official grand opening sometime in January.
The company has been in business for 24 years.
“We are a full-service interior design company,” McEntire said. Its services include new construction, space planning, renovations and a retail showroom, which features custom furniture, accessories, lighting, window treatments, lighting and artwork.
West End Center is McEntire & Mayes Interiors’ third location.
It started with a location along Northshore and Baum drive before it moved along Outlet Drive in Knoxville and then to Farragut.
McEntire-Mayes, who grew up in Farragut, said they chose West End Center because it was a
better location and had more retail space.
“We’ve always had a showroom, but just the location, being in Farragut. This is where most of our clients are,” she said.
McEntire said the newly renovated ext-erior also attr-acted them to the shopping center.
“The façade is updated,” she said. “There’s a lot of traffic through this area. There’s a lot of interest. There’re all sorts of new businesses.
“All of us are moving in at one time. I think we all found it within a couple weeks of each other,” McEntire said. “We’re pleased with the location. We’re going to like it. The people are friendly here.”
The business is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
On why East Tennessee Spine & Sport Physical Therapy located to West End Center, “I think this is a great community,” Graeme Keys, who owns the Farragut office and is clinic director, said. “It’s truly still the heart of Farragut.
“I love the fact they have redone this shopping center. To me, that was a big draw,” he added. “When Tommy [Vann] had redone the front and made everything much prettier, I was easily drawn back to this.”
Keys said the business has been in practice in Knoxville for 20 years at several other locations. Keys has been a physical therapist for 22 years, 17 of which have been in Farragut.
“We opened this [clinic in Farragut] and an Oak Ridge office Nov. 1,” Keys said. “The philosophy of therapy that we do is what Spine & Sport has been doing, which is a very active approach to rehab using the McKenzie Method.
“The McKenzie Method is an approach to how you assess, treat and prevent back pain and extremity problems,” he said.
The clinic is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Crissy Collins and Gretchen Williams, owner agents of Farmers Insurance, said they also were drawn to West End Center by its new façade. The agents opened the business Dec. 1.
“This is a lovely community,” Williams said.
“We like it a lot,” Collins said. “It’s quite nice outside, and everyone seems to be friendly, the businesses here are similar to what we do, an the owners of the complex are very nice.
Farmers Insurance provides home, renters’, business, life, car and specialty insurance, such as boat, motorcycle and all-terrain vehicles, she said.
The business is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Kresser has located Exit Realty in West End Center and plans to open for business after the first of the year and hold a grand opening in late January. Kresser specializes in commercial and residential real estate.
“It was really about having so many people, schools and doctors’ offices close, and the traffic light, park and neighbors are a perfect complement for us,” he said.
