Big Orange Business

What makes Knoxville, Tennessee, such a great place to live? The local food scene is certainly part of the story, and few restaurants have been part of its evolution quite like Sweet P's BBQ.

On this episode of Big Orange Business, Haley Jones sits down with Sweet P's owner Chris Ford to talk about barbecue, business, and how Knoxville has changed over the years.

Before opening Sweet P's, Chris spent eight years touring the country as a musician with the band Grand Torino. Along the way, he developed a love for Southern barbecue that eventually led him from performing onstage to building one of Knoxville's longtime local favorites.

Chris shares how Sweet P's got its start in South Knoxville, what makes its North Carolina–Tennessee barbecue style distinctive, and how the restaurant developed its popular smoked meatloaf, homemade sides, and signature sauces.

The conversation also explores the changing restaurant scene in downtown Knoxville, the challenges facing independent restaurants, and the lessons Chris has learned from nearly two decades in the business.

And for anyone thinking about moving to Knoxville, Chris shares why he loves calling East Tennessee home, from its growing food culture and lively downtown to the nearby mountains, music venues, and sense of community.

Whether you're a longtime Knoxville resident, planning a visit, or researching what it's like to live in Knoxville, this episode offers a taste of the people and places that make the city special.

VISIT SWEET P'S BBQ
Website: https://sweetpbbq.com/
Find current locations, menus, hours, and restaurant information on their website.

ABOUT BIG ORANGE BUSINESS
Hosted by Knoxville real estate professional Haley Jones, Big Orange Business introduces you to the local businesses, restaurants, entrepreneurs, and personalities that make Knoxville and East Tennessee unique.

Considering a move to Knoxville? Follow Big Orange Business to discover more about the neighborhoods, lifestyle, and community that make East Tennessee a wonderful place to call home.

What started with daylilies, a family farm, and an idea for a pumpkin patch has grown into one of East Tennessee’s favorite fall traditions.

Haley sits down with Ken Oakes of Oakes Farm in Corryton to hear how the farm evolved from tobacco, cattle, strawberries, and a mail-order daylily business into the fall destination Knoxville families know today.

Ken shares the story behind launching the corn maze in 2001, how today’s elaborate maze designs are planted using GPS technology, and what it takes to prepare for the thousands of people who visit the farm each fall.

They also talk pumpkins, hayrides, apple cannons, the enormous corn pit, apple cider cinnamon donuts, the former Trail of Doom, and the farm’s newer spring tulip festival.

But Oakes Farm has become more than a fall attraction. Ken talks about families who first visited as children and now bring their own kids—and the growing number of people who have recently moved to East Tennessee and are discovering traditions like this for the first time.

Plus, Ken shares what life is really like in rural Corryton, why agritourism has become an important part of modern farming, and the best times to visit Oakes Farm if you want to avoid the biggest October crowds.

It’s a conversation about farming, family, entrepreneurship, community, and how a local East Tennessee tradition grows across generations.

Learn more about Oakes Farm and plan your visit:
oakesfarm.com

Shop Oakes Daylilies:
oakesdaylilies.com

Young-Williams Animal Center takes in roughly 10,000 animals every year — but adoption is only part of what they do for Knoxville.

Haley Jones sits down with Josh Holly from Young-Williams to talk about how animal welfare in Knoxville has changed, including the programs that helped move the organization from roughly a 30% save rate in 2009 to around 92% today.

They also dig into the services many Knoxville residents may not know exist: animal services for Knoxville and Knox County, fostering, a pet food pantry, low-cost veterinary care, spay and neuter services, community vaccine clinics, and programs designed to help families keep their pets rather than surrender them.

Plus, Josh explains where Knoxville’s shelter animals come from, why Young-Williams can see more than 50 kittens a week during the summer, how fostering can help animals become more adoptable, and some of the more unusual animals the organization has rescued — including two pigs abandoned on an island.

Whether you’re moving to Knoxville, new to East Tennessee, or have called Knoxville home for years, this episode offers a look at the people and programs helping Knoxville care for its animals — and how you can get involved.

Learn more about Young-Williams Animal Center:
https://www.young-williams.org

Big Orange Business explores the businesses, organizations, people, and places that make Knoxville, Tennessee, home.

East Tennessee’s lakes and rivers are a huge part of life here. We boat on them, fish them, swim in them, build homes near them, and spend summer weekends on the water. But there’s an entire world beneath the surface that most of us never think about.

In this episode of the Big Orange Business Podcast, Haley Jones visits the McClung Museum of Natural History at the University of Tennessee to meet freshwater mussel experts Jerry Dinkins and Kristen Womble and discover what these unusual creatures can tell us about the health of East Tennessee’s waterways.

The Tennessee River system has more species of freshwater mussels than any other river system in the world. Some mussels can live for more than 100 years, serve as important indicators of water quality, and have one of the strangest reproductive strategies you’ll ever hear about.

Haley also asks some very practical East Tennessee questions: Which local rivers are among the cleanest? Would these scientists swim in Knoxville-area waterways? What happened to aquatic life in the Nolichucky River after Hurricane Helene? And what can people do to help protect the rivers and lakes we enjoy?

Plus, we go inside the McClung Museum’s collection of roughly 300,000 specimens, including aquatic mollusks representing all 95 Tennessee counties, and learn how part of this remarkable collection got its start in a closet inside Neyland Stadium.

Whether you’re moving to Knoxville, considering a move to East Tennessee, looking for life closer to the lakes and rivers, or already call Tennessee home, this episode uncovers a fascinating part of the region hiding right beneath the water.

Big Orange Business introduces you to the people, places, businesses, and stories that help you understand what it’s really like to live in Knoxville and East Tennessee.

Learn more about the McClung Museum’s Malacology Collection:
https://mcclungmuseum.utk.edu/research/collections/malacology/

What if movie night meant heading underground into a 400-million-year-old cave?

Cherokee Caverns is one of Knoxville’s most unusual places to visit — but it isn’t open like a traditional tourist attraction. Instead, this volunteer-run cave comes alive throughout the year with movies underground, trick-or-treating, Christmas celebrations, special events, and more.

Haley Jones sits down with Dana and Jennifer from Cherokee Caverns to hear the remarkable story behind the cave, from its early history and years of vandalism to the people who stepped in to rescue, protect, and preserve it.

They also share what it’s actually like to attend Movies in the Cave, including the classic films they show, what to bring, where to sit, what the cave feels like inside, and why tickets can now sell out in less than an hour.

Plus, hear about trick-or-treating underground, Christmas in the Cave, the 400-million-year-old formations, an underground lake most visitors never see, and the volunteers working to preserve Cherokee Caverns for future generations.

Whether you’ve lived in Knoxville your entire life, recently moved to East Tennessee, or you’re planning a visit, this is one Knoxville experience you may want to add to your list.

Learn more about Cherokee Caverns and upcoming events:
historiccherokeecaverns.com

What happens when you open a wine bar…and accidentally discover you've opened a restaurant and a gathering place, too?

On this episode of the Big Orange Business Podcast, Haley Jones sits down with Amy at Sparrow Wine Bar in Farragut, Tennessee, the sister business to Euphoric Cheese Shop.

Sparrow was designed to be comfortable, approachable and intentionally unpretentious—a place where you can meet a friend, read a book, share a charcuterie board, enjoy a wine flight, or simply settle into a leather couch and stay awhile.

And you don't have to be a wine expert—or even drink wine—to enjoy it. Sparrow offers beer, whiskey, non-alcoholic options, food, private events, tastings, games and happy hour alongside its wine selection.

Learn more about Sparrow Wine Bar:
sparrowwinebar.com

Haley and Amy also dig into the business behind the bar: what it's really like to build a company with your best friend, the unexpected learning curve of running a restaurant, why regular customers mean so much to a small business owner, and Amy's advice for anyone wondering whether their own business idea will actually work.

Whether you already live in Knoxville, are visiting East Tennessee, or are considering moving to Knoxville or Farragut, Sparrow is the kind of local place that helps make a community feel like home.

In this episode:
• The story behind Sparrow Wine Bar and Euphoric Cheese Shop
• Why Sparrow was created as a place to gather
• Wine flights and learning what you actually like
• Options for people who don't drink wine or alcohol
• Food, charcuterie, grilled cheese and dessert boards
• Private events, tastings and happy hour
• Going into business with your best friend
• What Amy learned when Sparrow unexpectedly became a restaurant
• The emotional reality of starting a business
• Why supporting local businesses matters
• Amy's advice for entrepreneurs navigating the unknown

Could Knoxville become a destination for Halloween?

Dustin Durham of the Knoxville All Hallow’s Eve Society thinks the Scruffy City has everything it needs to become the Spooky City every October — and maybe even the “Salem of the South.”

Dustin joins Haley Jones on the Big Orange Business Podcast to share the story behind the Knoxville All Hallow’s Eve Society and its mission to build community through Halloween, new local traditions and a little bit of spooky fun.

They talk about Dustin’s vision for larger-than-life Halloween decorations throughout Knoxville, the possibility of a future Halloween parade, a giant jack-o’-lantern in downtown Knoxville and Tour de Frights, a costumed Halloween bike ride.

And then there’s the Sunsphere. Dustin has heard from multiple people that Knoxville’s most recognizable landmark was once lit to resemble a jack-o’-lantern. He hasn’t been able to track down the photo — but it raises an obvious question: why not do it again?

The conversation also goes deeper than costumes and decorations. Dustin explains why the Society sees Halloween as an opportunity to bring people together, face some of the genuinely scary parts of life as a community and support causes including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Plus, hear the unlikely origin story behind Dustin’s mission to decorate Knoxville for Halloween — involving a landlord who wouldn’t let him decorate his own apartment.

Learn more about the Knoxville All Hallow’s Eve Society:
KAHES.org
Instagram: @SpookyKnox

Special thanks to the Mabry-Hazen House for allowing us to record this episode at their historic Knoxville property. Learn more about the Mabry-Hazen House, its history, tours and events at Mabry-Hazen House.

Big Orange Business, hosted by Knoxville Realtor Haley Jones, introduces you to the people, businesses, organizations and ideas that make Knoxville and East Tennessee such a special place to call home.

What if we told you that East Tennessee played a role in one of America's greatest wildlife comeback stories?

Haley Jones visits the American Eagle Foundation in Kodak, Tennessee, just outside Knoxville, to talk with Towe and Crystal about bald eagles, conservation, and the incredible work happening right here in East Tennessee.

At one point, there were only 419 nesting pairs of bald eagles in the lower 48 states. Today, that number has grown dramatically. The American Eagle Foundation has been part of that recovery through conservation, education, captive breeding, rehabilitation efforts, and the release of bald eagles into the wild.

And that's only part of this conversation.

Haley discovers why a piece of lead the size of a grain of rice can kill a bald eagle, why the famous “eagle” sound you've heard in movies probably isn't a bald eagle at all, and how these incredible birds travel across the country for appearances at football games and other major events — sometimes with two airplane seats of their own.

They also get into some of the biggest myths about bald eagles, why vultures deserve a lot more respect than they get, how injured birds are rehabilitated, what makes a bird non-releasable, how eagles are trained for stadium flights, and what visitors can experience for themselves at the American Eagle Foundation.

If you live in East Tennessee, are thinking about moving to the Knoxville area, or just love discovering the fascinating people, places, and organizations that make this region special, this is an episode you don't want to miss.

🦅 LEARN MORE & VISIT THE AMERICAN EAGLE FOUNDATION

Website: https://eagles.org/

The American Eagle Foundation is located in Kodak, Tennessee, just outside Knoxville. Visit their website for information about visiting, tours, educational programs, volunteering, donations, bald eagle appearances, and ways to support their conservation work.

🎙️ ABOUT BIG ORANGE BUSINESS

Hosted by Haley Jones, Big Orange Business introduces you to the people, businesses, organizations, and stories that make Knoxville and East Tennessee a great place to live, work, visit, and call home.

What makes a great cheese different from what you typically grab at the grocery store — and have most of us been storing cheese wrong our entire lives?

Haley Jones sits down with Amy Burritt, co-owner of Euphoric Cheese Shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, for a fun and surprisingly fascinating dive into the world of cheese.

Amy explains how to find a cheese you'll actually love, why freshly cut cheese can taste dramatically different, when mold is perfectly normal, how to tell when a cheese has gone bad, why you shouldn't store good cheese in an airtight container, and yes — whether buffalo mozzarella really comes from buffalo.

They also talk charcuterie, stinky cheese, cheese rinds, duck fat caramels, Amy's favorite cheeses, Euphoric's best sellers, cheese classes, gift baskets and the wine bar next door.

But behind Euphoric is a much bigger story.

Amy shares how she was diagnosed with breast cancer while preparing to open the shop. Then, just six weeks after Euphoric opened, her best friend and business partner Sherry received her own breast cancer diagnosis. Amy talks about how the Knoxville community rallied around them and how that experience helped solidify Euphoric's mission of building relationships and loving people through their business.

Whether you're a Knoxville local, thinking about moving to East Tennessee, or simply someone who loves cheese, this conversation offers a look at one of the unique local businesses helping make Knoxville feel like home.

Learn more about Euphoric Cheese Shop:
https://euphoriccheese.com/

Carlos Lopez is the first-ever Spanish broadcaster for the University of Tennessee and the voice behind Vamos Vols. But his path to the broadcast booth started with something much simpler: a phone, a Tennessee football game, and the thought, “I think I can do this better.”

Carlos joins Haley Jones on the Big Orange Business Podcast to share how a 32-second call during the Tennessee–Alabama game went viral, eventually helping him create a new way for Spanish-speaking fans to experience Tennessee athletics.

They talk about the rise of Vamos Vols, the growing Hispanic community in Knoxville and East Tennessee, Carlos’ journey from Venezuela to Tennessee, and why East Tennessee became home. Carlos also shares what goes into preparing for a Tennessee football broadcast, his thoughts on the 2026 Vols, and why reaching fans in Spanish is about much more than simply translating the game.

You’ll also hear how Carlos sent roughly 400 messages looking for one opportunity, why Vol fans started calling him “Juan Ward,” how Vamos Vols has expanded beyond football, and the remarkable story of how the platform helped Tennessee land a top-five diver in the world over the University of Miami.

It’s a story about Tennessee football, persistence, representation, community, and creating something that didn’t exist before—right here in East Tennessee.

Hosted by Haley Jones, Knoxville Realtor and host of the Big Orange Business Podcast, sharing the people, businesses and stories that make Knoxville and East Tennessee such a special place to live, work and build a life.

Want to follow Carlos Lopez and keep up with Vamos Vols, Tennessee Football, and his Spanish-language coverage of the Vols? Connect with Carlos on social media:

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlosspanishvoicelopez/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jose.lopez.141437/