8 | Copper Cellar
one Chesapeake’s, one Cherokee Grill (a
spinoff of the Copper Cellar concept in
Gatlinburg, Tenn.) and four of the organi-
zation’s newest concept – Smoky Moun-
tain Brewery.
“For us, it’s about being home,” Fricks
says. “We grew up in this area and the peo-
ple in the restaurants are from this area. If
you’re coming in, you’re getting a taste of
what Tennessee has to offer. We’re pretty
successful, but we try to stay humble. We
live in a glass house and we don’t like to
throw stones.
“The restaurant business is a hard
business and it’s our mission every day to
make people happy.”
BREWING A WINNER
The first Smoky Mountain Brewery was
opened in 1996 – also in Gatlinburg – and
