Two years in the making, Yee-Haw Brewing Company has opened its Knoxville location, and it's got a little extra kick to it.

The Johnson City-based brewing company has expanded with Knoxville as its seventh taproom and the second largest Yee-Haw. Everything is brewed on-site at 745 N. Broadway, but its food menu brings Nashville's famous Prince's Hot Chicken Shack to the Scruffy City for the first time.

"We were looking to make sure that we had a great menu that paired well with beer that is attractive to the local community, and also helps to draw attention and excitement from visitors. Prince's Hot Chicken was really a natural partner. We work with them in Greenville and we've worked with them in Nashville as well," Yee-Haw CEO Jennifer Podhajsky told Knox News.

Prince's Hot Chicken Shack has a long tale of its beginnings, featuring a scorned lover feeding her husband scorching hot chicken. The Great Depression-era story is what created Nashville hot chicken, with Prince's leading the herd. It has three locations in Nashville.

Yee-Haw Knoxville's unique kickin' features

Prince's Hot Chicken is one of the biggest draws Yee-Haw has, especially with the painted murals and signs right at the entrance. The menu is a pared-down version of the restaurants in Nashville, with a focus primarily on sandwiches, wings and tenders. The food is made in Yee-Haw's kitchen following the restaurant's recipes.

"I think one of the benefits here is it's a simple, high-impact menu," Podhajsky said. "When you walk in, there's smash burgers and jumbo pretzels and Prince's Hot Chicken, so giving enough of a variety to appeal to our guests, but not being overwhelming."

Food prices on the menu range from $8 to $15.

Podhajsky's go-to Prince's order is the tenders, with a side of advice for those trying it for the first time.

"It's Nashville hot chicken for a reason, and hot is hot," Podhajsky said. "The way we're guiding people is if you think you start at a hot, take one or two steps down, because it really does pack that punch and it's a lot easier to start on a more mild and work your way up."

Along with the hot chicken, Podhajsky talked about the other unique features Knoxville's taproom has. One of those is head brewer Chris Meadows, who is spearheading a brewing process that isn't used at the other Yee-Haw locations.

"He's always making something new," Podhajsky said of Meadows. "I sort of view Chris and all of our brewers as that combination of scientist, artist and connoisseur. His barrel age program is unique to Knoxville for our property and for all of our locations. And so there will be beers that you can only find here."

Her favorite beer unique to Knoxville is the Oatmeal Cookie Stout made in collaboration with Magpies Bakery. A large portion of Yee-Haw's cider production also with be created in Knoxville.

Perhaps the most visible distinction for Yee-Haw compared to other breweries in the area is its outdoor stage and jumbotron. The stage has a surrounding amphitheater along with the patio's total capacity of 750 people. Working with Born & Raised Productions, ticketed shows are expected to become a part of Yee-Haw's schedule to create an additional music venue in Knoxville.

"I don't know if there's any other outdoor venue like this in Knoxville, and to have it just right in the heart of North Knoxville is just a great way to bring folks here," Podhajsky told Knox News.

Planting its taproom roots in Knoxville

With this opening, Yee-Haw has established its corporate office in west Knoxville, with a more permanent building set for this year.

"We were remote historically because we didn't have people, and now we're building a great team with folks, and so having that group based here gives us the right center for all of our locations and helps build camaraderie and teamwork and provides great support for each of our locations," Podhajsky said.

She's said the north Knoxville community has been supportive of Yee-Haw as it prepared to open. It joins a list of breweries in the area including Next Level, Xul Brewing Co., Fanatic Brewing, Elst and Ebony and Ivory.

"If we can help shine a light on north Knoxville and bring more people into this area, I think everyone's gonna really benefit. I think there's plenty of space for us to live, grow and continue to develop the area," Podhajsky said.

Outside of Knoxville, Yee-Haw has opened a cider house in Gatlinburg and begun working in Ober Mountain.

"We're about Southern hospitality. I anticipate we'll continue to spread our wings," Podhajsky said.

Yee-Haw is open now and will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its grand opening on Feb. 27. The Knoxville taproom is open 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday and 11 a.m.-midnight Thursday through Sunday.

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development coverage team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Yee-Haw Brewing in Knoxville serves up Prince's Hot Chicken