BRISTOL, Va. — Officials with the City of Bristol, Virginia announced Thursday that three restaurants and a travel center will join anchor, Cabela's, at The Falls Development at Exit 5.
In a joint meeting between City Council and the Industrial Development Authority, purchase agreements and contracts were executed today with Calhoun's, Smoky Mountain Brewery, Zaxby's and Sheetz.
Bristol Virginia City Manager Dewey Cashwell said the announcement completes recruitment efforts for Phase I of the development, which will total 237,300 square feet and generate estimated retail sales approaching $100 million annually. Cashwell added that negotiations are near complete with an additional fifth tenant, and that announcement will be forthcoming.
“With the tenants in place for Phase I, we have have already achieved many firsts with this project,” Cashwell said. “Bristol will be the first location in the Commonwealth not only for Cabela's, but for regional superstars Calhoun's and Smoky Mountain Brewery. Anyone who has traveled to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge knows what a huge draw these restaurants are. The dining experience they offer, along with events and live music, will further solidify The Falls' draw as a true retail tourism destination.”
Cashwell said interest in The Falls has been high, putting Bristol, Va., in the enviable position of having many emerging and established businesses to choose from.
“We are fortunate in that there has been a tremendous amount of interest in our project from potential tenants, with established businesses contacting us through a myriad of information channels,” Cashwell said. “Essentially, this allowed us to hand pick the premier businesses to set up shop at The Falls. What we have announced today is truly the best of the best with more to come.”
Bristol Virginia Assistant City Manger, Andrew Trivette said preliminary site work has begun on the property, including prepping, grading and the relocation of a cell tower that currently exists on the site.
At times that work will include short periods of blasting, Trivette said.
“The preparatory site work is necessary in order to get our infrastructure in place prior to our official groundbreaking which will be held in June,” Trivette said.
With a total project cost of over $200 million, development of The Falls property will occur in structured phases, and, when complete, will house 1.47 million square feet of retail space and garner over $500 million in annual sales. The Falls will be home to a diverse offering of retail options, including grocery, apparel, sporting goods and department stores, as well as restaurants, hotels and personal care shops.
About the Phase I Tenants:
• Cabela's. Cabela's Incorporated, headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska, is the world's largest direct marketer, and a leading specialty retailer, of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. Since the Company's founding in 1961, Cabela's has grown to become one of the most well-known outdoor recreation brands in the world, and has long been recognized as the World's Foremost Outfitter. Through Cabela's well-established direct business and its growing number of destination retail stores, it offers a wide and distinctive selection of high-quality outdoor products at competitive prices while providing superior customer service.
• Calhoun's is a part of The Copper Cellar Family of Restaurants. The original Calhoun's BBQ Barn opened in October of 1983 on Kingston Pike in Knoxville. It was shortly thereafter Calhoun's traveled to Cleveland Ohio and took home the title “Best Ribs in America” after winning the 1984 National Rib Cook-Off. Calhoun's has been smoking ever since and currently has nine locations spread between East and Middle Tennessee, including Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Nashville.
• Smoky Mountain Brewery. With over 25 TV's, the Smoky Mountain Brewery is a natural gathering place for any televised sporting event or just a great meal. The Brewery features an outdoor patio and live entertainment nightly. Its twin working grain silos make it easy to locate the Smoky Mountain Brewery. Smoky Mountain Brewery is one of the largest working micro breweries in East Tennessee. Current locations include Knoxville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg and Maryville. The 10,000 square foot brewery at The Falls will be the largest of any other Smoky Mountain Brewery location.
• Zaxby's. An alternative to fast food, Zaxby's offers its guests prepared-at-order Chicken Fingerz, Traditional or Boneless Wings, sandwiches, Zalads and Zappetizers, along with a variety of nine sauces ranging from Wimpy and Tongue Torch to Nuclear and Insane. Childhood friends Zach McLeroy and Tony Townley hatched the Athens, Ga.-based chain in 1990 to provide a fun, relaxing atmosphere that would keep guests coming back for more. The company ranked number seven in the 2012 Top 10 Excellent Large Fast-Food Chains With 500 Or More U.S. Units Quick-Track study published by Sandelman & Associates. The chain also ranked number five in the nation for total sales and number one in the chicken segment in the 2012 Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain Restaurant Report published by Technomic. In honor of the thousands of children the restaurant chain serves every year, Zaxby's is a proud supporter of Make-A-Wish. The company operates more than 570 locations in 13 states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
• Sheetz. Founded in 1952 by Bob Sheetz, Sheetz, Inc. serves as a beacon to weary interstate travelers searching for fuel and food. With more than 400 locations across six states (Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina) Sheetz employs more than 13,600. Sheetz was the first to introduce the "Convenience Restaurants" concept, and in 2001, won a Silver Plate Award from the International Food Manufacturers Association.
