Historic building inspires new Maryville venue in old armory
Owners plan to have restaurant, games, live music
Maryville’s historic armory is getting revived as a new building, this time as a restaurant and entertainment venue planned for summer 2024.
The original armory functioned for decades before being repurposed as a roller skating rink and a salvage business. It was demolished in 2021.
Now, it’s coming back at 496 Ellis Ave., thanks to Bart and Marti Fricks, who will own and operate The Armory. The two recently purchased Jaboni’s Pizzeria, and Bart Fricks has decades of restaurant experience with Ruby Tuesday and the Copper Cellar family of restaurants.
In the same spot where the original building stood, the new 27,400-square-foot building designed by Johnson Architecture will house a restaurant, bar and entertainment area featuring six bowling lanes, bocce ball courts and live music. There will be a rooftop deck and an outdoor patio for guests to enjoy downtown Maryville.
The restaurant will source local ingredients and everything will be made from scratch daily. The menu is still being developed.
“No matter who you are, here’s an opportunity for you, your family, your friends or yourself to go into a great place, get a great deal, have a cocktail at the end of that and be entertained,” Bart Fricks told Knox News.
The $10 million project is estimated to create up to 150 jobs.
“Even though it’s a rebuild, it’s being rebuilt very similar to what (the original building) was. To have that back into the town, almost like another landmark especially downtown, I think will be exciting for the folks of Blount County,” Fricks said.
He hopes that when people come to The Armory and experience everything it will offer, they will get back in their car already planning their next trip.
“We wanted to create something entirely unique in Maryville,” Fricks said in a press release. “The Armory will be a premier destination for food, drinks, and entertainment – and we are thrilled to be bringing back such an iconic and historic Maryville landmark in a way that the community can utilize and enjoy it.”
Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.