KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A local restaurant has temporarily closed its establishment after a person drove their car into the building in Fountain City, according to a news release.

Sweet P’s Uptown Corner, at 3029 Tazewell Pike, became the second Sweet P’s restaurant in operation after their West Jackson Avenue location when it opened in spring of 2021. Sweet P’s first opened in 2009 and has been featured on Travel Channel’s Man v. Food and Food Network.

According to the news release, a person drove their car into the building of Sweet P’s on Tazewell Pike early morning Sunday, Aug. 7 during closing hours causing sustained damages.

Knoxville Police Department said that the car was left at the scene but the driver was not there when police arrived. According to the report, officers located a passenger at the scene, who only suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The passenger said that he was at a bar on Clinton Highway before the crash and he was being driven by a man he had met that night. The passenger described the driver as a skinny man in his late 30s possibly with long hair.

He was allegedly asleep in the passenger seat when he woke up to the crash and the driver ran from the scene.

No employees were in the building during the incident. Sweet P’s will temporarily close.

“We will keep you updated as we know more and work toward reopening.”

Sweet P’s Uptown Corner

The closure will be in place until property owners can make sufficient repairs to stabilize the building. Motorists should follow the established detour on Sanders Lane to Adair Drive and northbound traffic is not affected at this time, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

KPD said the investigation is still ongoing.