sell. He grew up on the show“ Cheers,” and said he wanted the kind of establishment where everyone knows each other’ s names.
“ Last year, at one point, Andy and I were behind the bar. We were kind of looking around. It was wall-to-wall, and we looked, and not a single person was on their phone,” he said.“ It was just great.”
They also run a program allowing customers to subscribe to have their own beer mug at the bar. The mugs hang from racks on the ceiling – requiring a long stick to bring them down – and each has its own number on the bottom.
At this point, it’ s uncommon for Withers and Redley not to know who owns which mug.
They also run a program for customers to buy beers for specific individuals. Patrons, Withers said, have paid it forward for the likes of first responders, foster parents and even“ someone on a Lowe’ s run.”
LOCAL STAPLES
Swärā and Tri-Hop are relative newcomers, but close to Alcoa Highway, The Casual Pint of Maryville has been pouring brews for customers at 721 Watkins Road for over a decade.
Owner and franchisee Tim Signer said his business was one of the first of recent additions to the local beer scene. After working in the furniture industry, he kicked around a few franchises before settling on The Casual Pint. He didn’ t know much about beer at the time, but said he knew a retail opportunity when he saw one.
His father, he said, gave him one proviso.
“ My dad was like,‘ As long as you keep Guinness on tap all the time,’” Signer said.
He’ s kept that promise, estimating he’ s poured about 600 kegs of the Irish classic through the years.
Time has changed the local market, he said. Beer prices have gone up. Competitors have moved into town. Signer used to believe beer was recession-proof, but now he’ s not so sure.
10 | BLOUNT COUNTY QUARTERLY • WINTER 2025-26
MATHAUS SCHWARZEN | BCQ Tri-Hop owner Jeff Hooper said he tries to keep a range of beers on tap at the Maryville location, all suited to customers’ tastes.
What has remained, however, is his dedication to his customers. Signer, too, is big on community. He estimates staff know about 85 % of the customers who walk in daily.
There’ s something about beer, he said, that brings people together.
“ We’ ve got customers that meet for beers a couple of days a week, and they’ ve lived four or five houses down the street from each other and never knew until they met in here,” he said.“ You get this connection.”
Customer interaction is where Signer is happiest. He can learn a product line, learn a new beer, and order new products, but what he loves most is seeing people happy. Sometimes, that means letting soccer fans in before 9 a. m. so they can enjoy the big game in company. Other times, he said, that means leaving the bar open until every first responder has been served their fill after a tragedy.
Yes, Signer said, times will change. But that won’ t change his dedication to customer service, and that’ s where he wants to shine.
“ Now that everyone in town has [ beer ], all we have is customer service experience,” he said.“ We’ re hyperfocused on making sure every single person that walks through the door knows they’ re appreciated.”