Sonny's pub in Fountain City takes over Sam and Andy's space and is named for owner's dad

Eleven years after he lost his father, Sonny, Michael McLain can still hear the advice he would give.

“He’d usually fuss at me,” McLain said of his dad. “He’d say, ‘Work smart, not hard.’ He was right-handed and I was left-handed. He’d tell me, ‘You’re doing something the left-handed way.’ He’d tell me to figure it out on my own.”

Years later, though, McLain still cherishes that wisdom, enough to name his new sports bar after him: Sonny’s Original Southern Pub.

A native and current resident of Fountain City, McLain grew up on Adair Drive, just down the street from the pub (2613 Adair), in the former Sam & Andy’s building.

Before it was Sam & Andy’s, about 18 years ago, it was Smokey’s.

“It was a dive bar back then,” McLain said. “When I just turned 21, I would go there for a couple beers. A lady named Michelle ran the place. She was a character.”

Community support is important

While getting a sports bar started from scratch is a challenge, McLain is counting on the community he knows to make it a success. Even before the doors were open, he had gotten a lot of interest from people.

“Fountain City needs a place like this,” he said. “You can watch the game on 12 TVs (one a projection TV on a large screen − with audio) and listen to live music on the weekends. All that while being family friendly and having a chef who loves original southern cooking.”

McLain said Chef Angie loves southern cooking and has a passion for chicken and dumplings.

“I want the community to come out,” McLain said. “Fountain City is a good little piece of Knoxville.”

Sonny’s will have seating for 84 indoors, as well as a patio.

“We’ve done a lot of painting and remodeling,” McLain said. “We just put in a new bar. The building is old, but the bones are good. Real estate goes quickly in Fountain City. When we saw this open, we jumped at it.”

Learned from mistakes

McLain attended now-defunct Knoxville Baptist Christian School (about 100 students, grades K-12). After graduating, he followed Sonny into the delicatessen business. Michael owned his on John Sevier Highway, while Sonny’s was near the Fort Kid Playground in Knoxville.

A manufacturing plant near Michael’s deli shut down and the traffic dropped off dramatically.

“The rumors were around but I didn’t hear them,” McLain said. “I knew the next time (he owned a restaurant) I needed to be better prepared.”

After the shutdown, McLain went from waiting tables to managing a restaurant. He spent 2007-10 working at the Knox County jail. After training at the Police Academy, he was a patrolman from 2010-19. He worked at Oak Ridge’s Y-12, then in 2022 went back to patrol with the Knox County Sheriff's Office.

Besides his day job, McLain also owns Marble City Pub in West Hills.

“I’ve done a lot, but I haven’t done it all well,” McLain said. “I’ve learned from my mistakes. There are so many moving parts. I’ve tried to micromanage in the past, but now I have people who can make decisions.

“Restaurants should be fun. You want your guests to have a pleasant experience. You should be able to make someone’s day better.”

Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Sunday’s hours hadn’t been determined.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Sonny's pub in Fountain City takes over Sam and Andy's space and is named for owner's dad