The Lunchbox Market & Cafe, the popular Knoxville lunch and catering choice that started with a small downtown restaurant in 1981, is expanding this year into new locations while maintaining the same menu favorites.
The Lunchbox in First Tennessee Plaza on Gay Street is moving to the BankEast Building at 607 Market Street where it will offer downtown residents, visitors and office workers a comfortable, urban atmosphere to accompany dine-in and fast takeout menu items.
Lunchbox Market & Café also is opening a new market/cafe in Cherokee Mills on Sutherland Avenue. The cafe will serve lunch, as well as takeout for lunch and dinner, to employees in the historic complex as well as from other nearby offices. Customers will find easy parking at this location.
“Lunchbox Market & Cafe will continue to be the quality alternative at lunchtime and anytime,” said founder Karen Sproles. “Our customer favorites such as soup, chicken salad, and desserts made from scratch will remain the same.”
In addition to the original Lunchbox on Gay Street, Karen and husband Don Sproles operate market/cafes at other locations. They say the Lunchbox is expanding to stay in tune with customers.
“It’s a new lease on life,” Don said. “While we are keeping our menu favorites, we are expanding to continue meeting our customers’ needs.”
The most visible change in surroundings will be at the new Market Street Lunchbox Market & Cafe location in BankEast where a communal table with a view of Krutch Park, meeting space, art, panini sandwiches, wi-fi and self-service for lunch-in customers will be available. Takeout will continue to be featured.
“Customers will be able to pick from an array of salads and sandwiches and get out the door in two minutes,” Karen Sproles said. “For those who eat in, we want their experience to be like a ‘third space’ after work and home where they can gather to eat, socialize and use their laptops.”
With the Market Street location more central to downtown lunch-goers and free parking at Cherokee Mills, the Sproles are inviting current customers to follow them to the new locations as well as encouraging anyone who hasn’t experienced Lunchbox favorites to try the cuisine. The Market Street and Cherokee Mills locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Lunchbox take-out business is as healthy as it ever has been, the Sproles said, and catering is still a key part of their services.
Lunchbox Market & Café operates a central kitchen and market/cafe at 9050 Cross Park Drive, as well as a market/café in the Atrium at 1225 Weisgarber Road. Those will remain open.
“Our market/cafes are stocked with Lunchbox favorites made fresh daily from our original recipes and packaged so you never have to sacrifice time or nutrition,” Karen Sproles said. “We love for people to gather for breakfast, lunch or snacks in our markets then take home dinner ready to heat and serve.
“From our central kitchen, we continue to cater all types and sizes of events, business lunches to wedding receptions. We treat each event like it was our own, and this means listening to individual needs as well as offering suggestions.”
Karen Sproles opened the first Lunchbox in 1981 in a small location across from the City-County Building. It moved to First Tennessee Plaza in 1988.
“Back in 1981, I named my little restaurant “The Lunchbox” thinking back to the school lunches my mom packed, with things that were fresh, simple and homemade,” she said.
“It was a feeling I believed people would appreciate in the middle of their hectic work day. With daily menu specials like chicken enchiladas, shrimp and pasta salad, chicken gumbo, Italian cream cake and of course ‘The Lunchbox chicken salad.’”
The early location became very popular with lunch-goers from offices downtown. The Sproles spread the concept to the central kitchen and market/cafes further west, beginning in 1998.
