Roni's Mac Bar, a Texas-born mac and cheese concept that has been riding a social media wave, is officially headed to Knoxville. The brand is planning a stall inside Kern's Food Hall as soon as this spring, with a build-your-own bowl format and a long list of toppings. Company officials have not yet put a firm date on the opening.
According to a media release cited by WVLT, Roni's, which bills itself as the "viral mac and cheese place," confirmed that the Knoxville location will be inside Kern's Food Hall. WVLT notes that the announcement came directly from the company and that no detailed timeline has been shared yet.
Roni's launched in Waco in 2022 and has been expanding quickly on the strength of viral videos and franchise deals, the Dallas Morning News reported. The outlet pointed to the brand's large social following and a growing list of openings in Texas and beyond as it ramps up.
Kern's Food Hall, the restored Kern's Bakery complex that reopened as a multi-vendor food hall in 2024, is listed at 2201 Kerns Rising Way, and the venue markets itself as a rotating home for local and regional vendors. Kern's Food Hall's site emphasizes events, rotating tenants, and a community focus, making it a common landing spot for concepts testing new markets.
Roni's expansion has followed a franchise model that has placed locations in college towns and regional food halls, including a 2025 opening in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, KFVS reported. That mix of company and franchise openings helps explain why the brand is eyeing nontraditional markets like Knoxville.
What To Expect
The format is a Chipotle-style build-your-own bowl, a pasta-and-cheese base, toppings and sauces, then a brief bake before service. According to the company's release, as cited by WVLT, Roni's says customers can mix and match toppings to create more than 77 million combinations, with options that include chicken, bacon, corn, and pineapple.
How To Keep Up
The Dallas Morning News reported that Roni's has leaned on TikTok and Instagram to roll out announcements and promotions, so those platforms will likely be the first place a Knoxville soft opening is announced. Kern's also maintains an online calendar and vendor listings, which will be the local way to track a firm's opening date.
