Blue Chair Bakery Expands with Tavern

When Jimmy Wilson agreed to volunteer for the Blue Monarch, he never imagined he would end up owning the Blue Chair Bakery and Cafe and now opening The Blue Chair Tavern. But life for Wilson has been full of interesting twists and turns.

Wilson, who graduated from Sewanee in 1973, has worked as a banker, an attorney and an entrepreneur before buying the Blue Chair from Susan Binkley. Wilson said he is thrilled with the success of the Blue Chair and now, the positive reception the Blue Chair Tavern is having in its opening days.

“We wanted to create a place where people could come—town and gown—to share a meal, have a beer, watch a ballgame, and enjoy each other’s company,” Wilson said recently.

The Blue Chair Tavern is located at 41 University Ave., in the building that formerly housed Sweet CeCe’s, the original Blue Chair Bakery, and before that, the Sewanee Mountain Messenger offices.

Wilson, along with his wife, Sarah, C’89, now owns both Blue Chair buildings, and the businesses are linked in many ways.

“I am lucky to have the very talented Michael Shrum managing all the operations,” Wilson said. “And Dave Hill is running the Tavern. We have a great team.”

The Blue Chair Tavern serves a variety of beers, many brewed by the Jackalope Brewing Company of Nashville, of which the Wilsons are part owners. Jackalope is known for its small-batch craft beers.

The Tavern is starting out with a small menu of appetizers and snacks. Three televisions in the space are usually tuned into sports events around the globe.

The restaurant features a beautiful antique oak bar that Wilson bought almost 25 years ago in Oxford, Miss. Part of the 30-foot bar is in his Brentwood home; the rest has now found a home in the Blue Chair Tavern.

Looking to the future, Wilson hopes to use the spaces of the two restaurants more fluidly. He wants to make it available for private parties and special events.

“I love the way the Village is developing,” Wilson said. “Sarah and I are really glad to be a part of it. We love the Angel Park and all the other good things going on here.”

The Blue Chair Tavern is open on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 4–10:30 p.m.; on Saturdays and Sundays, it is open 11:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m.; and closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.