What started as a dream to open an ice cream shop in Knoxville has evolved into a different dining concept.
Carnival Delights is kind of like any small-town diner, located in a small storefront along Main Street in the town of around 2,800 people that was the original seat of Knox County.
But it’s also kind of like a diner under the big top, where you can devour deep-fried Oreos, lemon shake-ups, and homemade Italian beef sandwiches next to a giant mural of a circus ring.
“We thought were going to open an ice cream shop and a little restaurant, and then it seems like we’ve turned into a destination for a lot of folks, because we’re getting a lot of folks from Indiana and Iowa, and all over Illinois,” said Roy Collins, who opened Carnival Delights with his wife Jessica last fall.
They say they’ve never seen another restaurant quite like it.
“Some of our older customers are recapturing some of their youth and it's a fun environment. It's not just for kids, even though the decor is fun. We get folks of all ages,” Roy said.
Inside the restaurant, bags of cotton candy hang in an arc above the cash register. All over the space are red and white striped banners and curtains.
High school students painted the circus ring mural, and will soon fill another wall with their art.
Jessica said customers love the fun and nostalgic décor.
“As soon as they walk in the door, they're excited to be here. They've heard so much about the food and how good the food is and they can't wait to try it all,” she said.
Carnival Delights has an extensive year-round menu of classic fair food, including 72 varieties of funnel cakes.
There are also elephant ears, fried twinkies, fried pies, smash burgers, foot-long corn dogs, Chicago-style dogs, and fried pork tenderloin sandwiches.
Everything is homemade from Roy and Jessica’s own recipes.
Roy said they serve authentic homemade Italian beef.
“We actually get Angus beef. We slow roast it overnight. We add our own seasonings to it. It's very unique. We get a lot of compliments for our beef. So, we're proud of that. It's a big seller for us,” he said. “Our tenderloins, we get straight from the lockers. Again, nothing frozen, hand pound. We add our own seasoning. We bread them and deep-fry them.”
At Carnival Delights, the prices are also a bit nostalgic. An Italian beef or pork tenderloin sandwich will set you back just $7.
“That's one of the things we talked about when we created a menu. We wanted carnival food without the carnival prices,” Roy said.
Roy and Jessica started the restaurant with just the two of them on staff.
But with the popularity of Carnival Delights, they now have three other full-time employees and several part-timers.
“We have gotten a lot of attention and of course people post it on their social media sites. And everybody wants to try it,” Roy said.
The couple is in the process of putting a billboard on Interstate 74 to bring even more people into Knoxville.
“It's been a busy time for us here the last few months, and I think it's only going to get busier,” Roy said.
The couple has already received requests to open Carnival Delights locations elsewhere.
Roy said they are looking at a location in Peoria and could expand there in the future.
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