Tomato Head West

In the fall of 2012, one of downtown Knoxville’s favorite eateries, Tomato Head opened a new restaurant in West Knoxville. The renovation of an existing 5000 square foot restaurant space included a complete reworking of the kitchen and prep spaces. The dining room and bar area were redesigned as well.

The front-of-house renovation focused on bringing the Tomato Head’s aesthetic into the existing space on a limited budget. The owners’ vision centered on creating a light-filled, open space. To accomplish this, part of the kitchen relocated to the back of the space and as a result, daylight now reaches deeper into the dining area. Existing booths were painted and rearranged to give the space an open and inviting flow. New flooring and lighting were chosen to keep the interior fresh and simple.

“Food gotta cook. Don’t come out of a can.”

Although located in an existing restaurant space, the outdated kitchen and prep area received a complete plumbing, electrical and mechanical overhaul to make the new space more functional and more energy efficient. Tomato Head’s motto is “Food gotta cook. Don’t come out of a can.” With everything prepared fresh daily, the restaurant’s kitchen needs were larger than the existing space. The location of the kitchen was reworked and the layout was changed in order to accommodate new equipment and prep spaces. A long window was added between the kitchen and dining room to create a connection between customers and the kitchen.