Frothy Monkey

Seeking a unique venue for their next restaurant, Frothy Monkey chose the historic Kress Building as their Knoxville home. Our firm partnered with Nashville-based Frothy to add a new floating, steel-framed mezzanine and dynamic indoor/outdoor patio along Gay Street.

To create the patio space, the glass and doors were removed from the existing non-historic storefront framing, and a new front door was added. The historic face of the building was not changed, but non-historic elements (doors and glass) were removed and could be replaced in a future renovation should this be desired. The new mezzanine framing is integrated into the patio and suspended from new steel beams above. This allows for a column-free and visually open entry space.
The interior includes a coffeehouse area, dining seating, and a bar.
Old-growth timber joists, salvaged from within the building, found new life as stair treads and bar shelving. Existing brick was restored and is an interior highlight.

Framework for Design Excellence