Friday, September 23, 2011

September 23rd Update

Renovations on the Corridor
McDonald's on Cumberland Avenue has just issued a press release with the following information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Joe Burger, 865-851-2633
Cissy Smith, The Tombras Group
865-470-2934

McDONALD’S® FIRST RESTAURANT TO REMODEL AS PART OF THE
CUMBERLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR PROJECT

Knoxville, TN – The newly-rebuilt McDonald’s on Cumberland Avenue opens this Tuesday at Midnight, and it is the first local business on the UT Strip to be remodeled based on the City of Knoxville’s Corridor Project. The purpose of the Corridor Project is to create a more attractive, economically successful, vibrant and safe Cumberland Avenue. "The city of Knoxville is very excited about the improvements to the McDonald's location and the willingness of the owners to have their renovations support the goals and purposes of the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project", says Anne Wallace, Cumberland Avenue Project Manager for the City of Knoxville.

In addition, the new restaurant reflects McDonald’s decision to transform to a more upscale dining experience – complete with modern and stylish décor, comfortable seating and an exterior that encourages you to come in and stay awhile. The restaurant operates a 24-hour drive-thru, with both 24-hour lobby and drive-thru service on the weekends.

“We are so proud of this restaurant,” said local owner/operator Joe Burger, “and we hope our customers, especially the students, will really enjoy this place, inside and out. This restaurant is part of the UT atmosphere – so you’ll see lots of orange inside, including the orange and white checkerboard tile over the beverage center. Students can enjoy free WI-FI and the convenience of electrical outlets throughout the seating options. Or, the new patio outside which is a new addition to the restaurant.”

The entire Burger family (yes, that’s Burger) is involved in the business. Joe & his sons, Jason and Joe Burger III, are all owner/operators, with five McDonald’s restaurants in the Knoxville area (Western Ave., Farragut, Windsor Square, Lenoir City and Cumberland Ave.). The Burgers relocated to East Tennessee in 2007 from Pawley’s Island, South Carolina where they owned and operated two McDonald’s restaurants.

The restaurant will open at Midnight on Tuesday – and the first 100 students (with valid UT ID) will receive a Free Extra Value Meal each week for a year. “We know students look for great food and great value,” said Mr. Burger. “We provide that with a menu that offers lots of food and beverage choices, and our everyday value on the Dollar Menu for both lunch/dinner and breakfast. And our McCafe® line includes a broad line of espresso-based coffees and sweet treats – Lattes, Cappuccinos, Mochas, Frappes, and Smoothies.”

The Burgers are members of the Smoky Mountain Owner/Operators’ Association – a local co-op consisting of eleven franchisee organizations with 75 restaurants located across East Tennessee and Southeast Kentucky. McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants.

Weekend Events

Friday, September 23
Movies on the Square
Market Square
6:00PM - 10:00PM
The furry fun will begin at 6:30Pm and the movies begin at dusk. This weeks movie is Scooby Doo.

Friday, September 23 - September 25
Greekfest 2011
St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 4070 Kingston Pike
Sept. 23 & 24: 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Sept. 25: 12:00PM - 6:00PM
Festival highlighting Greek Orthodox religion, Greek food, customs, dancing, shopping, art, and the Knoxville Greek Orthodox Church. For more information visit http://greekfesttn.com/default.aspx.


Saturday, September 24
Market Square Farmers Market
Market Square and Market Street
9:00AM - 2:00PM
Locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts

The Big Knox Venture Race
The Square Room and Market Square Stage
9:24AM
The Big Knox Venture Race will send teams on an adventure course through downtown Knoxville. For more information visit http://www.knoxventure.org/

Hola Festival
300 Block of Gay St. (West Depot Avenue and Gay St by Regas Square.)
11:00AM - 8:00PM
The festival will feature delicious authentic Latin food, Latin rhythms, traditional music, dances, an International art and craft marketplace. At 2 p.m. the signature "PARADE OF NATIONS" will showcase traditional attire. For more information visit http://www.holaknoxville.org/festival/index.php

Friday, September 16, 2011

September 16th Update

CAMA Update

The Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association held their monthly meeting on September 7th at 3:00 pm in the Goal Post Tavern. Businesses and organizations represented at the meeting included the City of Knoxville, UTPD, KPD, Regions Bank, UT Federal Credit Union, Graphic Creations, The Tin Roof, University Liquors, and Goal Post Tavern.

KPD and UTPD noted a successful opening home game weekend without any major crimes to report. The merchants requested additional enforcement for on street parking in the district to assist with turn over of those spaces. Additionally, city staff discussed the panhandling brochure that was posted to the blog previously and there was interest in having the brochure available for various businesses to provide to patrons. City staff also provided a project update for the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project that included discussing the draft of the form based code that had recently been received and more details regarding the right of way process for the streetscape project.

Weekend Events

Friday, September 16
Movies on the Square
Market Square
The furry fun will begin at 6:30Pm and the movies begin at dusk. This weeks movie is How to Train Your Dragon.

Saturday, September 17
Market Square Farmers Market
Market Square and Market Street
9:00AM - 2:00PM
Locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts.

Artists at Work
Market Square
5:00PM
A drawing circle of easels, paper and pencil for artists and the pubic to join in. A model will be featured in the center of the circle, and the participants can learn to draw what they see in the world around them. Free, all drawing materials provided by school of art.

As always, thanks for your interest in everything connected to Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe and fun weekend!

Friday, September 2, 2011

September 2nd Update

City of Knoxville Update

The 24th Annual Boomsday event is scheduled for Sunday, September 4th! Festivities kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Neyland Drive with entertainment and food throughout the afternoon. This year's festival will feature a Family Fun Zone with inflatables and games; Live Entertainment on the Daystar Production Stage showcasing live music entertainment from over 10 bands; Little Debbie; and activities and contests from Journal Broadcasting, and many more fun activities. For more information see the city's press release here or visit the event website here.

There are also a number of events downtown and along the Cumberland corridor with First Friday tonight (for more information click here), the UT Vols season opener against Montana on Saturday at 6:00 pm (for parking and directional information please visit here), and the weekly Market Square Farmers Market. Just a brief reminder for residents and visitors alike, the city of Knoxville has adopted a "no panhandling" ordinance; for more information please click here which includes a brochure from the Knoxville Police Department about panhandling.

CAMA Update

The next regularly scheduled Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 7 at 3:00 pm in the Goal Post Tavern. For more information about CAMA click here. Hope to see everyone at the meeting!

As always, thank you for your interest in all things that touch Cumberland Avenue and have a safe and fun-filled holiday weekend!