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Cumberland Gap family restaurant embraces the community

The Pineapple Tea Room has evolved to include burgers, steaks and live music

CUMBERLAND GAP, Tenn. — The Pineapple Tea Room and Coffee Shoppe takes up a corner in Cumberland Gap, welcoming students and locals and tourists.

"The pineapples that I have on the book shelf are all gifts that people have bought and brought to me." Sue Bain said.  "They just come from everywhere. People will walk in and say I seen this and thought of you."

Credit: WBIR
Sue Bain opened the Pineapple Tea Room in 2013

That friendly spirit makes the community attractive to Sue Bain. Since she opened The Pineapple Tea Room in 2013, she has expanded the menu to include what the community wanted and needed.

They wanted more burger, french fries," she said. "It's just evolved and it continues to evolve. That's what brought Rick into the picture."

Credit: WBIR
Rick Bain is the chef at the Pineapple Tea Room in Cumberland Gap

Rick Bain is her son, who is a chef, who moved to Cumberland Gap from Indiana.

A year ago, the mother/son team added the Mine and Rail. It shares a wall and door with the Pineapple Tea Room. At night it becomes a classic steakhouse with live music. 

Credit: WBIR
The Mine and Rail is an addition to the Pineapple Tea Room which serves steak and features live music

They haven't  stopped with reinventing their restaurant. Rick is building a farm to table network. 

"The gem that East Tennessee is and all the farmers and growers we have here that are not giant. They're not commercial. It is all small, family operated, local, sustainable and healthy farming," he said. 

Credit: WBIR
The Pineapple Tea Room in Cumberland Gap

Sue said,  "I would love to see not only our business grow but I want to see every business down here grow. I want to see people coming back to The Gap." 

She thinks they need more signs to direct people to the small town of Cumberland Gap tucked in to the space connecting Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. 

"You can't see us from anywhere unless you go up to the top of the pinnacle, then you can see us. And people who do generally will come down," she said. 

Rick wants to see more festivals and variety of businesses to attract people from beyond the gap. 

"The town itself embraces all the businesses that are here and we try to support each other," Sue said. 

The restaurant is open every day except Monday.

Monday           Closed

Tuesday           10am–3pm

Wednesday  10am–3pm

Thursday     10am–8pm

Friday          10am–9pm

Saturday          10am–9pm

Sunday          10am–3pm

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