Knoxville staple Sam & Andy's is opening up a new location, and construction is already underway.

First opening in 1946, Sam & Andy's has moved around the block. It has had locations on Cumberland Avenue, in Farragut, and in West Town Mall. It now operates in Fountain City with an extensive menu featuring salads, sandwiches, and burgers.

This new location is opening near the Bexhill subdivision off Ebenezer Road. Construction has already begun in the grassy lot facing Ebenezer, with the goal of opening a shopping center that will feature Sam & Andy's.

"I anticipate July or August for it to be open," owner Chris Captain said. "And that's pretty much if everything goes well. There are a lot of delays. This world is different now."

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Captain has been looking to expand for a couple of years but waited until finding the right location and community to open a new Sam & Andy's.

"I drove around the neighborhood, just kind of researching the neighborhood a little bit, and I was like, 'Man, I think this is it.' It's a good strong community that can support us and we can support it. And as far as the community in that area, there's a lot of families," Captain said.

An after-school spot

Along with bringing the menu to Bexhill, Captain said this Bexhill location will have new features exclusive to West Knoxville.

The biggest addition will be a milkshake bar inside the restaurant. Captain said the two concepts are "very rarely" put together. The Bexhill location will have a large, 1,700-square-foot patio. The menu will receive a few updates while keeping the basics of Sam & Andy's.

"We're going to have a local grass-fed burger on the menu. We're going to have a vegetarian burger. We're going to have some different salads with, like, salmon and fresh fish on it," Captain said.

While construction is underway, Captain wants to add sidewalks and bicycle parking alongside a parking lot that's not overcrowded. He wants the location to be accessible to families living in Bexhill and surrounding neighborhoods as well as kids getting out of school nearby.

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What else is opening there?

The shopping center has three more tenants lined up for when construction is completed.

Casa Don Gallo, a Mexican restaurant, will be opening another location there. Along with that, a nail salon and MR10 Realty owned by Martha Riordan will open as well.

"All those places are locally owned by people that live here in Knoxville. We got one parcel upfront; we're looking to try to put up a walk-in clinic or a coffee shop there," Captain said.

Captain is excited to "give the community in Bexhill" a Sam & Andy's that is "tailored to them." He hopes that it can open by next summer with minimal delays.

"Seventy-six years is a long time and I want to keep it going. I want to keep the tradition going," Captain said.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sam and Andy's expanding into West Knoxville with new restaurant