Beer Market & Bistro coming to Choto
“I think it’s going to be a great complement to what’s here,” said Mark Amrein, a partner along with Brad Pruitt in Lot 19 Beer Market LLC. “It’s been a long time coming.
“We are hopeful to be open in the fall 2022 — October possibly,” Amrein added. “We’ve been working with Knox County engineers on the layout of the property, and they’ve been helping us.
“We’ve been working on an exit onto Choto Road for easier exiting, especially for delivery trucks,” he said. “We hope to break ground next month at the latest.”
Choto Beer Market & Bistro will carry craft beers with offerings available on premises, as well as to go.
“Brad and I also have an interest in a (Bearden Brewhouse) brewery, so we will have a good many of the beer selections there — on draft and in cans,” Amrein said. “And, we proudly represent a number of different, unique breweries in the craft beer (industry).
Serving food also will be included as the business’ initial design with smaller, hand-held selections.
“We’ve been working hard on the actual offerings and what the menu would look like,” he said. “We want to complement the businesses that are currently in the area.
“We found ourselves, in our current business at Bearden Beer Market, offering food as a requirement for re-opening under COVID conditions,” Amrein added
“We had previously worked with food trucks in the past, but we knew that that was something these particular neighborhoods — the area — weren’t necessarily welcoming for this venture, so we decided to include the kitchen as part of our design.”
The market will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Sunday. Meanwhile, bistro meal hours are from 10 a.m. to noon for breakfast, from noon to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner.
Amrein said the 4,950-square-foot structure, which sits on one acre, will have two parts, one of which will be enclosed market with a sit-at bar, kitchen, restrooms and product to-go shelves.
“It will be adjoined by an enclosed patio area with a great deal of roll-up garage doors to give an indoor-outdoor effect,” he said. “Exteriorly, we’ll include a few sport courts for adult activities.”
They will include a pickleball and bocce courts, room for cornhole and a half-court basketball court. There also will be space for 49 parking spaces.
“It should be a lot of fun,” Amrein added. “It’s a place for people to gather, meet new people and enjoy their families.”
