6ix Grist & Grind Brewhouse to open location in JC

Another brewery is coming to downtown Johnson City. After two years at their first location in Kingsport, 6ix Grist & Grind Brewhouse Owners Cory and Scott Anderson have decided to open a second location of their business at 117 Spring St. "We don't want to be big – we want to stay small neighborhood-style," Cory said. "We said, 'Let's just look around.' We found a spot, and we're finally smooth running…We almost let it go, but we were like that location is amazing, and we just decided to jump." Securing the location for the second business spot happened quickly. Cory said she and Scott began seriously looking for other locations in September 2025 and visited the spot chosen in October. Shortly after, a lease was signed. "We signed for the lease literally like 10 minutes before our two-year anniversary party in November," she said. "Our lease didn't start until Jan. 1, and we're still working through the process." Cory said the space for the next 6ix brewery has very little need for renovations, and the plan is to transfer a similar theme from the original location into the new one. She added much of the menu items and drinks will also remain the same, though some adjustments could be made depending on different customer feedback. "In my head and in theory, we're just duplicating what we have," Cory said. "I want our vibe to look the same, but also have its own identity. The space itself is set up different, so it's going to look a little different that way. So, it's familiar, but still a unique experience." While there are a range of breweries already located within the downtown area, Cory explained the brewery community is connective rather than centered on competition. She said many people enjoy the different taproom experiences breweries offer, creating a larger customer base with the businesses located closely to one another. "We have a really weird industry that we all support each other [in]," Cory said. "It is competition, but everybody does it so different that when you have breweries closer together, it brings people to an area that like the brewing culture. They like not just craft beer, but the culture of each taproom, and they'll hop. It draws people together." Johnson City was also an ideal choice for a second location for a handful of reasons, one being the convenience of commuting to the space from Kingsport. Cory said the "vibe" in Johnson City, though, is what is most welcoming in taking their business to its next step. "It's just a different energy, and we've been told by a lot of people that we would fit in well with our concept and what we do," Cory said. While there is no set opening date yet for the second location, Cory said she hopes the business will be open in late spring this year. In the meantime, she added she and Scott are most excited about being surrounded and a part of the Johnson City community. "We're just excited to meet more people," she said. "One hundred percent, we got into this for the community of it."