After nearly five years of renovation, setbacks and unwavering faith, a Greenback man is preparing to open the Old Bank Brewhouse and Social — a coffee shop, candy store, community classroom and gathering space he describes less as a business than a ministry.
Owner Jason Mingee, 52, signed the lease on the former bank building at 6705 Morganton Road, in September 2021 and has been renovating the 8,000-square-foot space largely on his own time and dime ever since. A burst water pipe, a flood, mold remediation, codes enforcement hurdles and the loss of an 18-year job along the way tested his resolve. He kept going.
“There’s nothing on paper that tells you I should be here,” he said. “But I never heard God tell me to quit, so here I am.”
The business will operate out of the building’s 4,000-square-foot upper level at opening, with the lower floor — including a ballroom-sized event space and two original bank vaults — to be developed in a later phase.
On day one, customers can expect drip coffee, espresso drinks, smoothies, juice drinks, bakery and pastry items, and light sandwiches. A walk-up all-day coffee option will be available for $3.50 with free refills. The adjoining Asher’s Candy Shop — named for his young son — will offer cotton candy, snowballs, popcorn, novelty ice creams and locally made candies and caramel apples.
A separate perishable goods room will stock artisan breads, local honey, Sweetwater Valley cheese and Benton’s ham and bacon, making it one of the few retail outlets for the celebrated Madisonville smokehouse. A non-perishable merchandise room will carry locally made goods including goat’s milk soaps, bee products and 3D-printed toys — all vendor-branded, not house-branded.
The building’s drive-thru — the only one between Maryville and Vonore — will extend hours beyond the lobby, with a goal of staying open until 11 p.m. A skylit sitting area, board game library, nursing mothers room and free Wi-Fi round out the amenities. A community classroom and conference room will host free classes taught by local residents, with a rental option for meetings and private events.
Longer-range plans include a ballroom for weddings and receptions, a game room with pool tables and ping pong, outdoor movie nights, live music, open mic events and a free community haircut program modeled on a Knoxville homeless ministry where he once volunteered.
A “blessing board” near the entrance will allow customers to prepay for drinks for neighbors who can’t afford one.
“Anybody that comes here, I want them to feel loved, accepted, wanted and safe,” he said. “Love God, love others — that’s everything we’re doing.”
A soft grand opening on a Saturday is being planned. Hours at launch are expected to run 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with later hours to follow.
For more information > facebook.com/oldbankbrewhouse
