Flying Biscuit Café Signs Lease for Downtown Knoxville Location

Compton currently operates the Flying Biscuit Café at 11683 Parkside Drive in the Turkey Creek area, which opened May 25, 2025. The downtown location will be his second Flying Biscuit café.

The downtown café will include a patio and a full bar. Compton chose the site for its position in the center of the city and its proximity to the University of Tennessee, where he swam competitively as an 11-time All-American and SEC champion. He has spent more than 20 years founding and running companies across finance, real estate development, technology consulting and, most recently, hospitality.

“Downtown has energy to it every day of the week, and there’s still room for a good breakfast in the middle of it,” said Chris Compton, owner of Flying Biscuit Café Knoxville. “I swam at Tennessee, so putting a restaurant here means something to me. Students, families, people who work downtown — we want all of them fed well and looked after.”

Compton also plans to work with Knoxville-area nonprofits through the new café, continuing the community involvement he has built around the Turkey Creek location.