After losing their son to a rare hereditary disease three years ago, Kim and Glen Watkins relocated from Michigan to Tennessee in hopes of opening their own diner.

“We lost everything up in Michigan,” Kim Watkins told The Daily Times on Thursday. “So, we packed a suitcase each and $600 in our pocket and moved to Tennessee to start over.”

While the two originally settled near Nashville, the Watkinses, who thought the Middle Tennessee area was too busy and too expensive, began scouting other possible locations and soon were introduced to Blount County.

“We traveled weekends looking for a perfect spot to settle down and open a restaurant, and when a friend of ours showed us East Tennessee, we just fell in love with it,” she said.

Now, only a year-and-a-half later, the Watkinses have achieved their dream of opening a diner that’s dedicated to their son, Hayden, who was 8 years old when he died.

“We always said if we were able to have a diner then we would do it in our son’s memory, and that’s what we’ve done,” Kim said of Snoring Bear Diner, which opened last month at 4543 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Walland.

In fact, although some might think it’s a nod to “The Peaceful Side of the Smokies,” Snoring Bear Diner actually is named after some of the last words Hayden ever said to his parents.

“It has nothing to do with mountains or bears,” Kim said. “I was sleeping on the couch in his hospital room snoring and he started to giggle and said, ‘Daddy, we’re going to catch that bear someday.’”

The Watkinses also are using the Walland diner as a venue to give back to children’s charities like the Ronald McDonald House in Knoxville.

“One thing we said from the beginning is that we have to give back,” Kim said. “There’s a purpose for it that God gave it to us and we have to follow it.”

Traditional with a twist
Specializing in “traditional creations with a twist,” Snoring Bear offers American-style breakfast foods that are available all day, gourmet hot dogs and unique burgers and sandwiches.

The Snoring Bear Burger, for example, features candied bacon, goat cheese, and blackberry dijon sauce, while the Ultimate Philly, one of the most popular dishes, is simply a Philly Cheese Steak with bacon, sausage, and pepperoni added to it.

Then there’s the quarter-pound all-beef hot dogs — another top seller — that have to be eaten with a fork, as they come piled with various toppings.

There are even deviled eggs, which Glen initially didn’t want on the menu but have since become “Tennessee gold,” Kim said.

“People call and order them by the dozen,” she said. “We can’t keep up with the eggs.”

Since its grand opening on May 5, Kim said the Watkinses have been “overwhelmed” by the local response.

“We have been so blessed,” she said. “We never thought it’d take off like it did, but we just have blown up. It’s been amazing.”