Rankin Restaurant is closed, but could the homemade biscuit recipe live on?

Silas Sloan, Knoxville News Sentinel
·3 min read

Even after baking extra batches of biscuits, Donna Kennedy couldn't keep up with the hundreds of hungry customers trying to get one last meal at Rankin Restaurant this week.

Kennedy has been the restaurant's sole biscuit maker for almost 25 years. She joked that she's tried to relinquish control over the customer favorite, but she couldn't let go.

Though the 69-year-old restaurant is now closed, those biscuits might not be gone forever. Kennedy said she'd be open to selling her recipes.

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A sign reads "Closing at 1pm out of food" at the front door at Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The longtime restaurant closed its doors after 69 years in business.
A sign reads "Closing at 1pm out of food" at the front door at Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The longtime restaurant closed its doors after 69 years in business.

And she'll pass on her expertise in her next adventure as a culinary arts teacher.

"I'll still be in food," she said. "I guess I won't be feeding a lot of people, I'll be teaching people to feed a lot of people."

Rankin, originally set to close Friday, closed for good Thursday amid staffing shortages.

Biscuits beloved by generations

On Tuesday, customers lined up around the block hoping to get their hands some famous homemade biscuits and maybe some extras to take home.

"Nobody does it as good as me," Kennedy said. "I'm a little hands on and particular about that sort of thing."

The restaurant not only ran out of biscuits, but had to close an hour early because there was no more food to sell. That had only happened once before for Kennedy.

Donna and Perry Kennedy, owners of Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., pose for a portrait in front of the restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The couple operated the restaurant, which closed this week, for 25 years. It had been in operation for nearly 70 years.
Donna and Perry Kennedy, owners of Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., pose for a portrait in front of the restaurant in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The couple operated the restaurant, which closed this week, for 25 years. It had been in operation for nearly 70 years.

She owned the North Central Street restaurant with her husband, Perry, for 17 years. She worked at the restaurant for 25 years.

Dot Rankin opened Rankin Restaurant and, after a brief stint with new owners, sold the restaurant to Kennedy in 2005.

"I've got very close to not just my employees, but customers," Kennedy said. "I've got generations of families that come in. People brought their kids in, and then their grandkids and now their kids."

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End of an era for Knoxville restaurant

A street view of Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The longtime restaurant has closed its doors after 69 years in business.
A street view of Rankin Restaurant, 2200 Central St., in Knoxville, Tenn. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. The longtime restaurant has closed its doors after 69 years in business.

Customers who visited Rankin for decades probably didn't notice too much change over the years. Kennedy kept and maintained the original floor, counters and barstools.

"It's in fairly good shape for 69 years old, look at all people stepped on it," Kennedy laughed." Somebody steps on me for 69 years, I'm not gonna look that good!"

The decision to close has been a few years in the making.

The restaurant had been on a "shoestring" budget and Kennedy struggled to find staff, especially during the pandemic. The pace of business and the long, early hours became challenging.

"I'm no spring chicken anymore," said Kennedy. "My husband's not. He turned 60 this last year. I'm just in my mid 50s, but still, I can't keep up these hours."

Kennedy said it didn't take long for the property to sell to a private investor. It's not clear what will become of the property, adjacent to Finders Keepers thrift store.

After a quarter-century at the restaurant, Kennedy said she is forever grateful for the customers and the memories made at Rankin.

"They need to know how much we appreciate them," she said. "Of course we've worked hard, but without them there'd been a reason for us to be here. We'll miss them."

Silas Sloan: Covering growth and development in East Tennessee
Twitter: @silasloan| Email: silas.sloan@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville's Rankin Restaurant owner would sell homemade biscuit recipe