Chef Bruce Bogartz is back in Knoxville opening a new restaurant in Bearden

If you've dined out in Knoxville over the years, it's more than likely you've had a meal served up by Chef Bruce Bogartz.

Bogartz has a long history at Knoxville kitchens and, after leaving for a few years for a venture in Atlanta, is back with a new project simply called Bogartz.

The chef left town in 2018 and joined his brother Scott to open Bogartz Food Artz in Atlanta. After a stop in Chattanooga as well, he decided it's time to return to his roots by opening a new place in Bearden at 4705 Old Kingston Pike.

Bogartz will be fine dining, but not stuffy. He's keeping the menu under wraps for now, but he hinted that he's known for his take on duck sandwiches, chicken livers and ice cream sundaes. All of the food that can be made in house will be made in house.

Why did Bogartz decide to come back to Knoxville

Bogartz was motivated to return to Knoxville for a personal reason: the birth of his first grandchild.

"My daughter is about to have a baby so I'm about to be a grandpa for the first time so I was just coming home to be a grandpa and then this opportunity fell into my lap," Bogartz told Knox News.

He explained how Tony Cappiello, owner of Cappiello Real Estate and owner of building that houses Bogartz, presented an opportunity to open in his restaurant on Old Kingston Pike.

"I was fortunate enough to find some backers and I have an amazing following in town and we're very confident. Somebody came to me and said, I want to back you, and having that financial strength is huge," he said.

The plan for a soft opening for Bogartz on Aug. 26 as a fundraiser for Second Harvest food bank. On Sept. 1, Bogartz will be open to the public. A few smaller events could be sprinkled in between.

What is the experience of Bogartz going to be like

The restaurant will offer lunch, dinner and brunch, with some exceptions on certain days.

• Mondays will be dinner only.
• Tuesday will be closed.
• Sundays will be a special family-style meal with a different theme each week.

Customers are a huge inspiration for Bogartz and his love for serving his customers while building close relationships is one of the key components in how he plans to run his restaurant,

"Oh, you're still not eating onions and peppers or you're gluten intolerant? ... I still have my wits about me that I can remember these things and keeping notes on the customers preferences," Bogartz explained.

The stigma behind fine dining is one Bogartz plans to avoid. He's not fussy about how customers are dressed but said servers will wear suits and ties and ideally he'll have an experienced staff to underscore the higher standard of service Bogartz hopes to provide.

"It's fine dining, but fine dining can be an off-putting term. It makes you think that we're stuffy, but we're just passionate about what we do and we want to create and experience that you are no going to have at home," said Bogartz.

What motivates Bogartz

He runs a tight ship in the kitchen. Bogartz explained that even when you are tired, there are just certain ways you go about things in that space.

On the flip side, it's not always about what you do as much as how you do it.

"One of my favorite examples is I was invited to do a cooking demonstration for (local chefs) and they all got pissed off because my topic was 'The integrity of a chili dog.' They didn't understand, it's about having the passion. If you have a great hotdog with an unbelievable bun with the best chili dog in town, people are gonna talk," Bogartz said.

His daughter will work with him because he said she keeps the same high standards in the kitchen. David Hart will be the general manager. They have worked together in the past.

"Together we have about 80 years of experience between us. We had an interesting rapport of understanding the business, understanding what the guests want, and what a good next level is in a market that is tapped but untapped," said Hart.

How does Bogartz think about the criticism he's received online

News of Bogartz's return to Knoxville has not gone unnoticed, especially by critics from his many years in the food industry. What used to infuriate him now makes him laugh.

"We're going to do a hater's dinner, and basically if you come and own up to your bullshit, I'll buy your dinner," Bogartz said.

He said the criticism is probably due to his unapologetic attitude.

"Have I done some things I regret in the dining room? Sure. ... I'm human," Bogartz said.

Bogartz' long history in Knoxville

In 1995, he moved back to his hometown of Knoxville to assist in opening Gettysvue Polo, Golf and Country Club.

Since then, he has played a role in several locations: Harry’s by Regas, Harold’s Kosher Style Deli, Southbound at the L&N, Bogartz Café, Rouxbarb, Primo at The Sunsphere, Tata’s on Broadway, and others.

Bogartz said the last few weeks have reminded him how great the community had been, and having diners take pictures of the new restaurant's sign has humbled him.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Chef Bruce Bogartz is back in Knoxville opening a new restaurant in Bearden