A restaurant boasting the "largest TV in the Southland" has closed its doors near the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, marking the latest in a string of shuttered businesses unable to overcome the growing pains of new development along the Strip and an evolving campus community.

Fieldhouse Social, a popular American sports bar and Burleson Brands restaurant, quietly announced the closure in recent days with vague signs on its paper-covered doors at the University Commons shopping center: "We would like to thank all of our guests and friends over the past decade for the support you’ve given to our restaurant. We will miss you all!"

Randy Burleson, owner of Burleson Brands, provided a statement to Knox News with more information about the closure, including how Walmart closing as an anchor tenant in 2019 signaled "it would be difficult to survive long-term."

"Campus has changed so much since utility construction started in 2015/2016, " Burleson said. "We’re grateful to all of the guests who’ve been loyal to us over the years, and very proud of the time we’ve spent serving the best fans in the country."

Another Burleson Brands restaurant, Stefanos Pizza, served its last slice on the Strip in late 2022. At the time, Burleson reflected on his "good relationship with Cumberland Avenue," but noted it was time to move on.

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The Strip, located along Cumberland Avenue, used to be a four-lane hub of local bars and restaurants. But a city plan for Cumberland Avenue reduced the number of lanes, and Strip-specific codes prioritized larger, higher density developments to encourage a pedestrian-friendly environment.

This priority has been realized in recent years, as student housing developers have made record-breaking purchases of entire blocks along the Strip to accommodate record-breaking enrollment at UT with new residential projects.

These shakeups on the Strip also led to the closure of the flagship Copper Cellar, a restaurant brand operated by the same family of restaurants as Calhoun's and Chesapeake's under the leadership of fellow restaurateur Mike Chase.

Burleson Brands also includes Aubrey's, Bistro by the Tracks, Bluetick Tavern, Stefanos Pizza in Hardin Valley and Sunspot, located on the Strip.

Remembering gameday drinks, dinner at Fieldhouse Social

Fieldhouse Social opened a decade ago at 2525 University Commons Way, just beyond the western edge of the Strip, in the same shopping center that's now home to Capybara Coffee, Publix and Volshop.

At the time of closing, the menu included a variety of shareables, from pulled pork nachos to fried green tomatoes. In addition to a long list of salads and sandwiches on the menu, Fieldhouse Social specialized in four entree "favorites": buffalo chicken pasta, grilled salmon, smoked ribs and "something chicken," which was made with a grilled chicken breast, ham, Tennessee moonshine BBQ, Swiss cheese and creole rice.

The restaurant and sports bar had patio seating and TVs galore, including the self-proclaimed "largest TV in the Southland," which Knox News reported was 23 feet.

Though the closing happened quietly, customers were quick to mourn the loss of another place to enjoy food, drinks and sports among fellow Tennessee fans.

"Pour one out for Fieldhouse Social," one Facebook user posted. Reddit users added to the conversation, with one noting Fieldhouse Social had the "best TV screen in town" and another wondering how radio station WNML would find a replacement business for hosting live sports shows.

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