Prepare to be transported back in time when the retro '70s-inspired bar Fly by Night opens June 8 in South Knoxville.
Two years in the making, Fly by Night is a meticulously designed throwback from Jocelyn Morin and Ryan Shanley, who opened Tern Club in November 2019. They were looking to expand with a new concept and a bigger space.
The answer was South Knoxville.
“We heard that the space at 906 Sevier Ave. had become available,” Shanley said. “So we called the landlord and looked the next day and thought it was perfect.”
Fly by Night was originally announced in April 2022, but delays in construction and licensing delayed the opening. The debut this week comes just in time for SoKno Pride.
“I think we're more prepared this time, although having a grand opening two days before SoKno Pride feels a little crazy,” Shanley said. “It’ll probably be our busiest day of the year … the third day we're open.”
Groovy cocktails and nostalgic snackage
When designing the cocktail menu, Morin said they did their homework.
“A lot of the classically ’70s cocktails were not the best or well-balanced,” she said. “We have reworked them to make them a little more balanced and interesting without interfering with the feel.”
Two of the cocktails Morin and Shanley are excited about are a frozen Harvey Wallbanger and a dirty martini with a house-made brine and an olive skewered by a tiny retro plastic sword.
Additional cocktails on the menu have familiar names with a mixology twist: tequila sunrise, rusty nail, grasshopper and Long Island iced tea. The cocktails cost $8-$14.
The wine menu has shifted from what Morin and Shanley originally planned. “We're doing a natural wine-focused menu. So just like some more out-there grapes, funky fun varietals, trying to keep things pretty affordable as well,” Morin said. Wine is $8-$15 per glass.
Beer will be available on draft, canned or bottled. The hors d’oeuvres-based menu will feature '70s-style party food.
“It is just ’70s finger food you would get at a cocktail party,” Shanley said. “Things we can get out quickly, that aren’t super involved but are on era. We want it to be nostalgic: Lil Smokies and shrimp cocktails.”
Blast from the past right when you step into Fly by Night
If the drinks don’t get you, the aesthetic of Fly by Night will draw you in. Morin and Shanley took time to curate everything inside the bar and it shows.
“Ryan and I have an affinity for thrifting and antiquing,” she said. “About 95% of everything was found in a thrift store, on Facebook or while antiquing. We had time to find all of these things. Our basement was full for the better part of a year.”