Marble City Market managers taking their burger concept with them to former OliBea

Two chefs walk into a Knoxville barbershop and lay the groundwork for a major shift in the downtown dining scene.

SmashCity Knoxville, arguably the most successful vendor at Marble City Market, will be exiting the food hall to open inside the recently closed OliBea at 211 S. Central St.

Paul Moody, co-manager of Marble City Market and co-owner of SmashCity Knoxville, said conversations with OliBea owner Jeffrey Dealejandro began while the two were getting a haircut a few blocks from the food hall.

Knox News previously reported Paul and his wife, Ashley Moody, will no longer manage Marble City Market come the end of July.

The decision to leave the food hall as managers was separate from their decision to open on Central Street, they said.

SmashCity Knoxville bringing burgers to former OliBea

Paul told Knox News the trajectory of SmashCity Knoxville proves the food hall formula can work, as their concept grew from food truck to food hall to brick-and-mortar location. Penne For Your Thoughts followed a similar path.

"The opportunity was laid in front of us," Paul said. "It's not that we don't want to be here anymore. It's that we've outgrown, which is what (the food hall) is supposed to do. ... It wasn't just the honeymoon period. It was the months after that we just couldn't keep up. We needed more."

Paul said management will be placed in the hands of owners, who will be responsible for how the food hall is managed moving forward.

As for Smash City Knoxville, the restaurant plans to open Aug. 11 with a familiar style of service. Customers will walk up to a counter order their burgers, which will then be brought to their table.

SmashCity offers chicken patties, black bean patties and traditional smash burgers in a variety of styles. The menu also features fries and the restaurant's signature Smash Sauce.

Keeping the 'charm' at this downtown Knoxville restaurant

Ashley said the new space has room for roughly 75 customers, and seating will be available on the patio.

"We want to keep some of the fun, charming elements that OliBea had and that Jeffrey brought to that space because it is such an iconic place for Knoxville," she said. "But we also want to bring this sort of grittiness that Smash has to it."

They have no plans to paint the space, and the TV will remain. While it won't be a sports bar, Paul said, you can bet the UT game will be on.

Alcohol is not part of the plans upon opening, he said.

The Moodys said they have two more regional Smash locations in the works, but details are not ready to share. They also are planning to expand in other markets.

SmashCity also has a location at Inner Rail Food Hall in Omaha, Nebraska.

"Smash is growing, and it's not fair to the vendors ... for our concept to continue to be a two-headed monster," Paul said. "If (the food hall) was the only thing Smash was going to do and we were going to open one or two more stores, it'd be fine. But there's several stores opening in the next couple of years."

Changes at Knoxville food hall Marble City Market

The Moodys took over management duties from national food hall curator Hospitality HQ, which was brought on to open and oversee Marble City Market when the concept launched in November 2021.

In the first nine months, half of the original vendors exited the food hall, located at 333 W. Depot Ave. During that span, multiple vendors expressed to Knox News their frustrations with HHQ, including a lack of communication from the company.

The Moodys entered their new role last year with an ambitious attitude, planning to address some of the food hall's biggest challenges, from its location and character to its programming and food variety.

Recently, Marble City Market has experienced some major wins with the addition of fresh concepts from diverse owners and operators.

Algo Delii offers Venezuelan cuisine, Kianga's Kitchen specializes in vegan soul food and ChickNSack serves up southern-style fried chicken. Most recently, Just Juice opened in the food hall with a variety of drinks infused with aloe vera.

"Ownership extends our heartfelt gratitude to Paul and Ashley Moody for their unwavering support and dedication to fostering a thriving culinary community at Marble City Market," ownership said in a statement to Knox News. "We remain committed to curating a dynamic and ever-evolving culinary landscape, ensuring that every Marble City Market Food Hall visit is a unique and delightful experience."

Want to visit SmashCity Knoxville? It's closing and reopening soon

The Moodys believe the food hall is in a better place than when they took over. They plan to be available with advice for the new managers.

July 29 will be the last day for SmashCity Knoxville at Marble City Market.

SmashCity Knoxville plans to open seven days a week starting Aug. 11, with tentative hours set at 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

"I think (Delajandro) handed off something that he built, and he handed it off to somebody he trusts," Paul said. "We're never going to be able to do what he did there. ... We're just completely different.

"We're just going to do what we do. And we're honored that we get to take that spot."

Ryan Wilusz is a downtown growth and development reporter. Phone 865-317-5138. Email [email protected]. Instagram @knoxscruff. 

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Marble City Market food hall's SmashCity Knoxville replacing OliBea