South Knoxville’s Kern’s Food Hall sets opening date

The building itself used to be Kern’s bakery, and the developers have stuck to the bakery’s roots.
The new owners of the Kern’s Bakery building are continuing work on a new food hall, but they are also looking for a piece of the bakery’s history.
Published: Mar. 22, 2024 at 2:04 PM EDT

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A project five years in the making, South Knoxville’s upcoming Kerns Food Hall has announced an opening date: April 13.

Set inside a nearly 100-year-old bakery, the food hall promises a chic environment with top local chefs, shopping and more. WVLT News has been tracking progress for months as the historic building has turned into a food hall.

Previous Coverage: Kerns Food Hall planning to open this spring after delays

The building itself used to be Kern’s bakery, and the developers have stuck to the bakery’s roots. Representatives said plenty of pieces of the building, like the flooring, are original. However, one piece of history is still missing.

Even with the opening day set, Kern’s is still looking for a historic carousel that used to sit outside the building. In early March, Kern’s said the business would love to have it back.

Previous Coverage: ‘It was a part of my life’: Search continues for missing Kern’s Bakery carousel

There’s a grand opening scheduled for opening day, including vendors like Monday Night Brewing out of Atlanta, AWA Italian, Hey Bear Café and more.