Mother Shop: A Look Inside

Have you ever walked into a shop and felt like you just stepped into someone’s technicolor daydream? Welcome to Mother Shop & Bar in Emory Place. Just north of Downtown Knoxville, this place is like a chaotic Pinterest board come to life. Think dopamine decor, cheeky gifts, and events that may be a little offbeat, but you’ll wonder how you ever lived without them. 

I sat down and chatted with co-owners of Mother Shop & Bar, Jade Adams (owner of Oglewood Avenue plant shop) and her fiancé Dylan Pacifico and immediately got all of the good ~vibes~. Full disclosure: Jade and I knew each other before this interview (we’re in the same book club together 🤓) but we’ve never really had the chance to sit down to chat all things business related. 

Jade is so bubbly and energetic but at the same time supremely chill. Dylan is more serious but also gives relaxed surfer-ish vibes (or maybe they both just seemed chill because they were actually exhausted after not having a day off in months 😂). What I can say for sure is that both of them are dedicated, passionate and hard working entrepreneurs who are pouring themselves into this new venture together. Not only are they co-owners but (per my last email), they are also recently engaged to each other and are just SO STINKING CUTE. As business partners, you can tell they do a really great job balancing each other out. Dylan says, “Jade is the face of the company and I do most of the backend work. She comes up with the ideas and I help make it happen.” Truly, an example of teamwork making the dream work. 

This dream that has turned into the reality of Mother Shop specializes in “dopamine decor” and gifts that just make you happy. Downstairs, Mother Bar will offer an approachable, low-pressure wine experience when it opens that will focus on wine by the glass at reasonable prices. In the future, both places will be integrated so customers will be able to have a “sip and shop” experience. 

Mother Shop immediately brings you joy when you walk upstairs and has everything from a lighter shaped like lipstick, a home rug shaped like a stick of butter, tomato plates, and so many other “things that look like other things”, and let’s be real, this is my absolute favorite. If you’re anything like me, you’ll immediately find 5 things at Mother Shop that are the perfect gift for either the person who has everything, the friend who loves a statement piece, the relative who appreciates a little cheeky sarcasm, your work wife, or your mom. (I mean, there’s a whole collection of hats that say “Mother.” Does it get more perfect than that?)

But all the fabulous offerings at Mother Shop are just the beginning. Dylan says,“Yes, it is a business, but the main goal for us is to provide a community space and what that looks like is fun events… We want to provide a space where everyone can come and just enjoy [themselves] and when the bar is ready, it’ll be way more of an inclusive space where it’s all in one.”

Since opening in February, Mother Shop has already hosted a slew of events including various hands-on workshops to make your own take-home items like resin trays or moss walls and other fun fetes like “Vintage and Yap Clothing Market”, a free event that celebrated Vintage Store Day in May with vintage clothing and handpicked collections from women-owned local brands. Seems cool, right? But then on top of that, they also had a DJ… AND offered vintage-themed flash tattoos (yes, real tattoos 😳). One event that I HATE I missed was the “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy Casanova” party where they brought in other vendors in the community like Knox Community Street Dance to teach line dancing, Good Girl Books for a western themed book release, and they might have even had a mechanical bull. Yee… and I can’t stress this enough, Haw, y’all. 

Jade said bringing fun never-been-done-before event concepts like this to Knoxville keeps her motivated because it’s something she feels our community needs AND people enjoy the idea of never knowing what could be happening any given weekend. 

The other big motivator? Supporting other small businesses. Jade received support from businesses when Oglewood first got started 5 years ago so now she makes it a point to do the same. Whether that’s supporting makers and smaller businesses with the products Jade and Dylan buy for their shop or doing collaborations & co-hosting events with other small businesses in the area, she’s here to spread the love. 

TBH, this all tracks. I’ve seen Jade’s ability to help cultivate community firsthand – even in our little bookclub. She fosters a safe space just by being her true, authentic self which helps others to feel comfortable and free to open up and creates an open door for connection and good conversation (even when the conversation topics veer WAY off course from the actual book subject… 😂). Building community isn’t something she does through her businesses, it’s just a part of who she is. She and Dylan are both dreamers and that energy shows up wherever they go and in whatever they venture out to do.

Mother Shop is truly an experience-based business that is ever changing and ever evolving and that might be my favorite thing about this place. Jade and Dylan are building more than just a business here. They’re creating a place that makes Knoxville brighter, weirder, more joyful, and more supportive of the other local dreamers who make this city what it is. And honestly? I can’t wait to see what they dream up next.

P.S. If you’re in a book club too and need a last-minute gift for your host (or you know, if you deserve a little treat for actually finishing the book), Mother Shop has you covered. 

Hope I see you there!

Cheers,
Nena