DINING ROOM & BAR HOURS
Open Tuesday - Saturday
Doors open at 5:00 p.m.
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Named one of The New York Times 50 Best Restaurants in America, 2025
LET'S CELEBRATE
Historic Elegance
Tailored for Corporate Events, Family Celebrations, Holiday Gatherings, Rehearsal Dinners, Parties, & Wedding Receptions
Nestled in the historic Daylight Building, built in 1927, J.C. Holdway offers a sophisticated downtown Knoxville venue with a full-service kitchen, bar, covered patio, and an elegant main dining room. While we are not a traditional event space, we are perfect for those seeking exceptional food-focused gatherings. Our restaurant can host up to 70 guests for events, offering various levels of privacy, and is just one block from Market Square, the convention center, several hotels, and three public parking garages.
Tables of six or fewer can book directly on Resy.
For parties of seven to 20, we offer our Center of the Table experience.
For larger groups or those wanting more privacy, utilize the short "Book My Group" form below.
Questions? Email hello@jcholdway.com.
Event Formats
Layouts & Menu
If you are new to dining with us, note that we do not have a separate private dining room. We offer three event layout options: a private restaurant buyout for complete privacy, reserving our main dining room with a privacy divider, or booking a set of tables for your group.
Due to our kitchen's capacity, we cannot offer our à la carte menu for groups larger than six guests. Instead, we provide a four-course "Center of the Table" dining experience. Our events team will work with you to plan seasonally-inspired courses, crafted by James Beard Award-winning Chef Joseph Lenn.
Custom cocktails and wine pairings, curated by our sommelier team, are also available.
Please note that we do not book graduation parties until mid-February and do not book parties for home football game weekends until mid-August.
For lunch inquiries from Tuesday to Saturday, email hello@jcholdway.com.
Non-Private Dining
Reserve Groups of Tables
This is our most popular option with no event minimums or additional event fees—you pay only the menu price per guest.
A deposit is required to hold your reservation.
For parties of seven to 20 guests, we reserve adjacent tables in the dining room, which remains open to other guests.
We offer two seating windows, 5:00 p.m. or 8:00 p.m., each lasting 2.5 hours.
For groups of seven or more, the à la carte menu is unavailable; our Center of the Table menu is required and begins at $99 per person (beverages, tax, and a 20% service charge are additional).
Custom cocktails and wine pairings, curated by our sommelier team, are also available.
* All pricing is subject to change.
Semi-Private Dining
Main Dining Room Buyout
With a privacy divider, reserve our main dining room at J.C. Holdway for up to 50 guests.
We offer two seating options: a 5:00 p.m. seating for 2.5 hours or a full evening buyout.
We require the "Center of the Table" menu starting at $99 per person for dinner. Menu pricing applies toward the event minimum.
EVENT MINIMUMS
2.5 HOUR SEATING (ONLY AT 5:00 P.M.)
Tuesday - Thursday: $7,000 - $9,000
Friday - Saturday: $10,000 - $12,000
FULL EVENING
Tuesday - Thursday: $10,000 - $12,000
Friday - Saturday: $15,000 - $18,000
*All pricing is subject to change.
Private
Dining
Full Restaurant Buyout
Host up to 70 guests in a fully private setting. A buyout reserves every table for the entire evening and includes exclusive access to the entire venue—bar and covered patio—from open to close.
We are not a traditional event venue and do not host wedding ceremonies or vow exchanges. We are an excellent setting for rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions; additional wedding fees may apply to accommodate the planning, layout adjustments, and staffing these events require.
For private dining, we offer an individually plated multi-course menu or our "Center of the Table" menu starting at $99 per person for dinner. Menu pricing applies toward the event minimum.
EVENT MINIMUMS
Tuesday - Thursday: $15,000 - $18,000
Friday - Saturday: $20,000 - $24,000
*All pricing is subject to change.
