'West Knoxville deserves good food': How Fire + Smoke aims to reopen after abrupt closure

Just a few short weeks after all the Archer's BBQ establishments closed without notice, the staff behind Fire + Smoke have reignited the fine dining establishment.

William "Archer" Bagley III had opened the steakhouse in April; but in late October, executive chef Jared Martin told Knox News that Bagley had suddenly closed all his restaurants.

Now, thanks to a devoted patron, the restaurant will be reopening in its original location on Northshore, near the Pellissippi Parkway interchange.

"The public outcry for the place was heavy," said Martin, who will be the executive chef and general manager of the revitalized Fire + Smoke. "One of our regulars found me on Facebook, and we went from there."

The restaurant will retain not just its original space, but also the staff, said Martin.

"It's in the same location, the same everything, the same team," he said. "It was a turnkey restaurant, all the stuff was still inside, the staff was ready to go."

Martin noted Fire + Smoke had been doing well at that site, adding, "West Knoxville deserves good food. They deserve not to have to drive downtown."

How a fan of Fire + Smoke became the owner

"It's a great story that needs to be told," said Doug Snover, an Arizona transplant whose main business is as a general contractor.

"My wife and I are foodies, we like to go on date night every week," Snover explained, adding that the couple had been searching for their one special place since they arrived in Knoxville in July 2022.

"We were looking around, but we didn't find that place until we found Fire + Smoke in July of this year," he said. "We had gone six or eight times within three months, something ridiculous, it was just that good. It was the best dining experience I've ever had, period. It was just phenomenal."

Snover said his wife was nearly in tears when she heard the restaurant had closed, but the news struck a spark.

"I just had this extreme urge to not let this thing die, to revive it somehow," he said. "It was just starting to make waves, it was just starting to become known."

Even though Snover has no restaurant experience, he is well-versed in managing people. And from his perspective as a customer, the Fire + Smoke team is top-notch.

Re-opening the restaurant is a massive undertaking, but they're not starting from Ground Zero, he notes.

"This opportunity already was a well-oiled machine just waiting to be re-started," Snover said. "The key is the people − the right people in the right positions."

Fire + Smoke menu will be more accessible, more diverse

The restaurant will continues its emphasis on Appalachian ingredients with a curated menu of prime steaks, Southern flavors, and artisanal cocktails.

The menu as a whole will be more diverse, however, with lower price points for some entrees.

"We will still have six or seven steaks at any one time, but other entrees as well," Martin said. "It will be little more accessible. We kept hearing it was too expensive, so there are a lot more options now. ... It will be a destination for everyone, if that makes sense, not just for an elite demographic. It's still going to be the best steak in Knoxville, though."

While the menu is undergoing slight adjustments, one big change is that Fire + Smoke will be open for lunch, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

While the exact grand opening date is still tentative, both Martin and Snover said they hope it will be toward the end of December.

"We'll make sure everyone knows," Martin said, directing fans to keep an eye on the restaurant's Facebook and Instagram posts.

Liz Kellar is a Tennessee Connect reporter. Email liz.kellar@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville's Fire + Smoke to reopen after abrupt Archer's BBQ closure