Breaking (Big) News: New Business for Union Avenue: The Tree and Vine

Sign outside Asheville Store (photo from http://www.thetreeandvine.com/)

Here's more big news for Market Square: We are getting a great store called The Tree and Vine which currently has a location in Asheville. The Asheville store sells Olive oil and wine, though the Knoxville store will feature the olive oil, vinegar and wine supplies but will not likely sell the actual vino, presumably due to our arcane restrictions and laws, though I'm not certain that is the case. Also, kitchen supplies are likely to be included in the inventory mix.

According to the owner, the store is going to be located near Tuepelo Honey and, though I'm not clear on the precise location, the lease has been signed and they hope to have the store open in June, which is about the same timetable as Tupelo Honey. They were well aware of the pending opening for Tupelo Honey and one has to wonder if this is a ripple effect from the other restaurant announcing their move. If so, it makes the CBID grant look pretty good

Interior of Asheville Store (photo from http://www.thetreeandvine.com/)

The store focuses on buying the best extra virgin olive oil and vinegar possible from multiple suppliers and they are always searching for better products to present to in their store. Customers are encouraged to taste the different oils when they enter the store and after selecting a favorite oil it is placed in a bottle from the large vats and sealed with a cork and wine bottle-type foil.


Terri and Paul Karlsson, owners try to be environmentally conscious, using recycled paper and offering customers a discount on a next purchase for returning a previously purchased bottle for reuse. The couple have each had successful careers in very different occupations and opened their Asheville store in Biltmore village just last summer.

Terri and Paul Karlsson of The Tree and Vine (photo from http://www.treeandvine.com/)

Could it be that we are now only a year behind Asheville in the "cool" department? I'm not so sure about that, but I'm very happy to hear that a new set of products will be offered in downtown Knoxville by a store that seems very much to fit the vibe we are building here.

UPDATE: I'll have more tomorrow from the owners and the developer. Stay tuned!***


Now all they have to decide is whether they will sell Olive Oil to Stacey Campfield. I'll let you know if I get a preliminary read on that one.

Special thanks goes out to reader and very good friend, Marti, who passed along the information for this post. Have a tip? I'd love the chance to be the first to write about it, so pass it on to KnoxvilleUrbanGuy@gmail.com.