Oldham Hospitality wants Townsend to be your stop on the way to the Smokies
The company's portfolio features family favorites like Dancing Bear Lodge, Dancing Bean, Peaceful Side Social, and now Sharon's Half Day Cafe.
On a late-July morning, the Teknovation team made the drive up to Townsend for a homemade breakfast of biscuits, bacon, and eggs at the soft opening of Sharons’ Half Day Cafe. It’s the Oldham family’s fourth concept in the small mountain town. A couple of weeks later, the cafe is fully open to the public as one of the first full-service breakfast spots on the “peaceful side of the Smokies.”
Oldham Hospitality is behind much of the recent modernization along Townsend’s main drag, Highway 321.
Travelers through the area have likely spotted the red-roofed Apple Valley Mountain Village, with its distinctly East Tennessee home goods and gifts; the Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro; and the twinkling string lights on the patio at Peaceful Side Social.
“What we’ve been trying to do is rehab all the old buildings that are already in Townsend and bring new life into old spaces,” said Houston Oldham, vice president of operations for Oldham Hospitality. “We want to give people a reason to spend a couple of hours on this side of the Smokies.”
Until late July, Dancing Bear, Apple Valley and Peaceful Side were the group’s three main brands. Sharons’ Half Day Cafe makes four, this time at the breakfast table.
What makes Sharon’s Half Day Cafe different?
“Townsend lacks a really high-quality breakfast option. There are plenty of coffee shops, but none that serve a full food menu. Our goal was to create a locally owned and targeted breakfast spot that features high-quality food and is family-friendly,” Oldham said.
The idea initially came about during a conversation with the Benton family a couple of years ago, most commonly known for their production and sale of Benton’s Bacon. Both are multi-generational family businesses with deep roots in their home regions, and the two started tossing around the idea of opening a restaurant together.
“Benton’s is a very renowned brand, and so we are stoked to align their quality product with our reputation in the hospitality world,” Oldham said.
The name runs in both families. The Bentons and the Oldhams each have a Sharon at the head of the table, so “Sharons’ Half Day Cafe” came easily.
The menu features chef favorites like “Sunrise Hash” and “Smash Biscuits,” as well as homemade sourdough bread, offering several sandwich options, table biscuits, and full-service coffee options.
You’ll find the cafe in the same strip as Peaceful Side Social, in the former Townsend Pizza Hut.
“Townsend is beautiful and a great place just to stop,” Oldham said. “If you come up to the park once or twice a year, come up through the side of the Smokies where you can actually relax and take a breath.”
Learn more about Sharon’s Half Day Cafe!
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