Patches BBQ & More opens 2nd restaurant in former East Knoxville Archer's BBQ location

In the wake of Archer Bagley abruptly closing all of the Archer's BBQ establishments last October, it didn't take long for his fine dining outpost, Fire + Smoke, to rise from the ashes under new ownership.

Now, another Archer's location is getting a second life. Patches BBQ & More, which has its original restaurant in Strawberry Plains, opened at the 5200 Rutledge Pike location Jan. 8.

"It's been incredibly busy for a first day," said John Macalla, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Rycki. "We already got our first review."

The Macallas were taking a short breather a few hours after their opening Monday afternoon. Their new restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The menu will be very similar to the Strawberry Plains location, but the full kitchen at Rutledge Pike means they can expand their options, Macalla said.

"We also have a specialty cake that will be available all the time only at this location, a maple bacon spice cake," he said, adding that the first time they made it at the original Patches, it sold out in two hours.

True to its name, Patches BBQ & More offers a wider variety of menu items than simply barbecue, including classics like deviled eggs, mac and cheese and smoked bologna sandwiches.

"We pride ourselves on everything being made as close to scratch as possible," Macalla said. "The mac and cheese is from scratch, we have fresh-pattied burgers daily. We also have homemade meatball subs."

Patches BBQ & More got its start in Strawberry Plains in 2023

John and Rycki − who John credits as the "backbone" of the organization − opened the first Patches BBQ & More not quite a year ago. The name of the restaurant has a double meaning: "Patches" was John's nickname during the time he owned a drywall business, and it also refers to the Macallas' support of military personnel and first responders.

"We have a big heart for first responders and military," John Macalla said, explaining the restaurant offers them a 15% discount. "We try to collect patches as well, it's something to coincide with that support."

The success of that first location meant the Macallas had been looking to expand this year, and the news that Archer's had closed all of its locations accelerated the process.

"We ran with it, we decided to take that step and broaden our customer base," he said.

Macalla, a contractor by trade, said owning a restaurant had always been a dream of his, adding, "I love to cook and I love to serve people, to sum it up in one sentence."

Liz Kellar is a Knox News-based Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: East Knoxville's Archer's BBQ site gets new life as Patches BBQ & More