Nationwide newcomers to Town hungry for Farragut info: Viox

Coming from “New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois,” Candace Viox said she continues to observe families and individuals from across the nation “all coming to Farragut.”

For the second time in less than a year, Viox, chair of Shop Farragut/Farragut Business Alliance, expressed her observations of a nationwide span of Town growth during an SF/FBA meeting, the latest one virtual Thursday, Feb. 18.

As owner of Water into Wine bistro & lounge near the corner of Grigsby Chapel and North Campbell Station roads, Viox also said these newcomers “are asking the local businesses, me in particular, how they can get more information” about Farragut and the immediate area.

Moreover, “They are meeting with realtors at the restaurant,” she added. “... You would not believe the first-time people that have been coming to the restaurant, staying in the hotels, meeting with real estate agents — and they have a ton of questions about Farragut,” she added.

“And I have just been sending them to Shop Farragut and Town of Farragut websites. I hope that is helping.”

However, “There are a lot of people that think Farragut is Knoxville and didn’t realize that Farragut was its own kind of unique township,” Viox said.

David Smoak, Town administrator, said he wanted to discuss this matter with Viox “and kind of get a rundown on the sort of questions they’re asking.

“I’m working with some of our other staff here at the Town; we’re making updates for our website; we’re trying to refresh the information that’s available,” he added. “If there’s information they’re asking for that we don’t have, I’d love to be able to put that on our website.”

“They want to know about our schools, they want to know about the neighborhoods and the parks,” Viox said, adding that information recently put out by Parks & Recreation Department and Visit Farragut officials “is working” to inform newcomers.