March 27, 2026, 1:21 p.m. ET
There were two different matchups that resulted in big upsets that might have busted your Coffee Craze bracket. The pool of coffee shops vying to be crowned the best coffee shop in Knoxville has dwindled down to just eight spots left.
Each of them need your vote make it to the Final Four Pours.
No. 9 Capybara Coffee faced No. 23 Fable Hollow Coffee & Bookshoppe in the Scorched Sixteen. Fable Hollow was able to upset the higher seed and move one step closer to the championship title. No. 19 Five & Hoek Coffee Co. beat out No. 13 Perk City to be named one of the last eight local coffee shops left in our “Coffee Craze” bracket.
Just like the NCAA Tournament, it’s nearly impossible to predict an upset. The shops in our “Coffee Craze” bracket have been seeded based on when they planted roots in Knoxville, with places that have been around the longest ranked higher.
Vote below for your favorite among the eight remaining shops going head-to-head:
- No. 1 Old City Java vs. No. 3 Remedy Coffee
- No. 6 Wild Love Bakehouse vs. No. 7 Awaken Coffee
- No. 12 Mahalo Coffee Roasters vs. No. 23 Fable Hollow Coffee & Bookshoppe
- No. 15 Likewise Coffee vs. No. 19 Five & Hoek Coffee Co.
We chose coffee shops from all over Knoxville to be contenders. Some are tried-and-true favorites, while others recently opened and have already found a committed, cult following. Although the city has plenty of popular chains, we’re staying away from businesses like Dutch Bros, Dunkin’ and Starbucks to keep things local.
The grand prize? Bragging rights, of course, alongside a Knox News feature all about the business you voted as the best Knoxville coffee shop − whatever that means to you!
Vote now for Knoxville coffee shops remaining in bracket
Coffee shops will keep going head-to-head over the next few weeks, vying for your votes until just one remains:
- Energizing Eight: March 27-29
- Final Four Pours: March 31-April 1
- Clash for the Cup (Finals): April 3-5
Vote now, and keep scrolling to view the updated bracket!
Each survey closes at 11:45 p.m. at the end of each period. The best coffee shop will be announced April 7 with a feature story at knoxnews.com.
How should you vote? Your preference of place may be based on the shop’s quality of the espresso or the creativity of the menu. Maybe you’re more concerned with location, shop playlists and convenient access to outlets so that you can “work from home.” All are valid reasons worth considering.
Joanna Hayes reports on restaurants and retail for the Knox News business growth and development team, led by business growth and development editor Ryan Wilusz. You can reach them by email and on Instagram at joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com (@KnoxEat65) and ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com (@KnoxScruff).
