Today we continue our Urban Outposts series, highlighting local, small businesses, returning for our second visit on and around Chapman Highway. Check out Part 1 for the first three small businesses. Today, we visit Chef Mo’s Cafe and South Knox Event Space, The Sugar Queen, and Tea and Treasures.
Chef Mo’s Cafe and South Knox Event Space (131 E. Moody Ave)
Chef Mo’s Cafe and South Knox Event Space are a pair of businesses owned and operated by Chef Mo. Tucked into a shopping center just off Chapman Highway, the spaces are a part of Mo’s multi-faceted offerings that keep him busy year-round. His story follows a trail of classic restaurants in Knoxville.
Mo got his start as a dishwasher at Duff’s Smorgasboard on Merchant’s Drive to earn money in high school. From that start, he refined his craft at a Mexican restaurant followed by Grady’s Goodtimes Restaurant, where he picked up skills on the grill. He credits his 15 years at Italian Market and Grill as the place “the real learning came,” eventually becoming kitchen manager.
Mo started a catering business out of his apartment for two years with a chance trip to the original South Knox Big Lots leading him to his cafe. He explained, “I wasn’t looking for a place yet, but we were growing so fast. Time was coming quicker than we expected, so it just worked out perfect.”
Originally offering exotic foods, he got a reality check in South Knoxville. He found that dishes like lobster and shrimp weren’t selling, so he pivoted to food like chicken wings and hamburgers, a successful menu for the past 10 years…