Wells Station BBQ is moving from a food truck to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, with owner Marcus Stokely preparing to open at 1617 N. Central St. in Knoxville in summer 2027.
Stokely confirmed to WhatNow Nashville that the restaurant will be a partnership with Brian Strutz, co-owner of A Dopo. Construction has not yet started, and Stokely expects the buildout to take six to eight months once work begins.
For Stokely, the restaurant represents the next stage of a concept that started at home before moving into pop-ups and food truck service.
“I started Wells Station from my house and did it from a pop-up tent for the first couple of years,” Stokely said. “It grew to a point where the next step is a restaurant.”
The move will also give Stokely an opportunity to bring his culinary experience into the barbecue concept. His background includes working at A Dopo, Blackberry Farm and J.C. Holdway, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“It allows me to show more of my culinary pedigree,” Stokely said. “I can expand on the knowledge I’ve learned over the years in fine dining and bring that into the barbecue realm.”
Barbecue will remain at the heart of the menu, with traditional offerings available throughout the day. Lunch will put more emphasis on barbecue, while dinner will feature composed dishes.
“Each dish will have some sort of smoked, charred or grilled element to it,” Stokely said. The goal, he added, is to expand the way people think about barbecue beyond “the traditional sense of pulled pork and brisket.”
For Stokely, barbecue is ultimately about technique. “It’s more so a method of cooking, not necessarily an ingredient,” he said.
When asked how he would describe the style at Wells Station BBQ, Stokely summed it up as “Texas inspired, but Tennessee soul.”
That approach will extend beyond the cooking itself. Stokely said sourcing quality ingredients is important, particularly when it comes to the meat. “I truly believe that if you source good-quality meat and cook it well, it doesn’t need many ingredients. But with the sides and accompaniments, you can have more fun and be more playful.”
Local sourcing will also be part of the restaurant. Stokely said he intends to work with local farmers and use local produce whenever possible to showcase what Knoxville has to offer.
The atmosphere will be equally community-focused. As a father of two, Stokely said creating a family-friendly restaurant is important to him. “It’s definitely going to be family-friendly,” he said. “Very community-driven.”
Until the restaurant opens, Wells Station BBQ will continue operating as a food truck, according to Stokely. The summer 2027 opening target will depend on when construction gets underway.
