Hands down the most comfortable and inviting coffee shop Ive ever been to. Feels like you are sitting in your living room enjoying a warm cup of brew being hugged by the comfortable couches and pillows which are in abundance.The staff is super friendly and welcoming, makes you feel like you can!e to visit your good friend. And of course most importantly is the coffee. Plenty of selections and if you are a latte lover you just try the Spice of Life or the Sleepy Bee which is far from sleepy.My new favorite stop Knoxville!My only request is to get my drink served in a mug rather than a to go cup, I would happily pay extra! It would give me an opportunity to take a much better picture.

Cute coffee shop. Nice selection and they have ice cream!! The staff is also very nice and knowledgeable.

I was looking for a place to grab an espresso drink for after lunch and came across The Empty Cup. It was really close to all the restaurants we tend to eat at for lunch. The cortado I ordered was delicious! I cant believe they are non-profit, too. The service was so friendly and prompt. Definitely the best cup of coffee in the area. Im also glad my money will be used to fund Adoption Grants for children instead of stock portfolios. Perfect.

This cozy coffee shop has a lot to offer. The coffee is great, but they dont stop there. If you enjoy a good tea with an enjoyable twist, I recommend the London Fog. It is Earl Grey and Lavander in steamed milk. It is amazing.I also tried their gluten-free brownie, and it was top knoch! Soft, chewy, AND fluffy! They offered to warm it too. This coffee shop truly lives up to its name because I very quickly had an empty cup, and I want to return for more!

I just got a latte from here, let me say they have a wonderful espresso blend, but thats just the start for this place, the atmosphere here is just wonderful and feels very reminiscent to a childhood hangout more than a place to get coffee. On top of that, the staff here is very courteous, let me say that I will be coming here again!

Cute place inside, kind of like Friends set. Employees could have been more friendly.

Love this place. Love the people. If you want some great coffee, check out this coffee shop. Your money will also be going toward a cause!

Delicious coffee, friendly staff and they give so much to the community.

Great coffee, awesome plush couches, and its a favorite spot for our knitting group to go once a week.

Really nice place. Lots of seating options: chairs, couches, tables outside, meeting room. Sweet staff. Drinks are great--Ive not yet gotten any off notes or bitter surprises. Baked snacks were very fresh.

Loved out first visit. After reading everything they do for the community this place does a lot of good. Theyre coffee was impressive as well

This place is amazing! Great people, great cause, great atmosphere, and great coffee!

Kind service, great coffee. Love supporting a local non-profit.

I thought this was delicious. I got a chocolate whatnot (basically a frappé) and that was so good. They are pretty expensive but so are all coffee shops. 🤷🏿‍♀️ The lady taking our order was very nice and friendly.

First time there and was highly impressed. Sweet and friendly staff, plenty of seating choices from chairs to couches- even picnic tables outside.they even have small meeting room/areas you may reserve for free.Now I ordered their Latte with caramel and mocha.. it was exactly what my tastebuds were craving. The quality of their ingredients was definitely yummy to the last drop.- literally..lol

Great coffee and even better heart for ministry to adoptive services! Highly recommend!!

What a pleasure to have breakfast here and know that I helped a young person.

Excellent place to stop for coffee and some creative philanthropy with their pour it forward wall and other opportunities to support the community

Utilized the drive thru 2 days in a row while visiting family in town. Staff was very friendly and the drinks were excellent. If I lived nearby, this place would be my new favorite spot. Come out and support great local coffee!

Coffee is so so good! The service was even better! The lady was so nice, patient, and informative. Well definitely be back.

Love this place.Positives:1: Its a non profit. Any profit goes to helping people with adoption.2: Its clearly kid friendly. They have a separate room for for children (see photos).3: The atmosphere is comfortable. Plenty of nice seating and couches.4: The people are friendly and helpful and serve cheerfully.5: Their pasteries look delightful.6: Who ever heard of a coffee shop that sells cereal. What a fun idea. A cereal bar with an unlimmited refills option.7: Available to book for special events (love music, Bible study groups, home school groups, etc).8: Last but not least, they have good coffee. 😃Go check it out for yourself and be sure to leave them a review. We all love good coffee shops and supporting adoption. Show them your support.

Excellent coffee, food, service, and atmosphere! Absolutely recommended and my wife and I will definitely be going back.

Tucked away with plenty of seating options & a meeting room (check for availability). All your favorite coffee options with a small selection of muffins & bagels.

Very relaxing place for a coffee with the girls.

By FAR better than Starbucks or any other chain coffee shop!

Our family & friends love this place!

The coziest, friendliest little coffee shop you ever did see

Love the drive behind this place. We are visiting from out of town and stopped in after searching for a local flavor coffee shop. My only problem is the espresso shot was not used quickly when crafting my beverage and so it tasted burnt and old. Just add the milk with in 15 seconds and it would have been an “empty cup” for me too.

The people who work here are absolutely wonderful!! They are so kind and truly care about their customers. I love their Chai Latte! I would highly recommend this coffee shop.

Love this place, been looking for a place like this since we moved to Knoxville. Love the service oriented mission, and the coffee is amazing. Love the empty cup special!

This place was by far the most terrible place expensive. I travel a good bit. While on travel, I always attempt to hit the local coffee shops ( pro small business)!My hotel was literally across the street so I decided to support this coffee shop. I arrived and noticed their drive through and outside patio was open to customers. Upon my arrival, one of the employees were assisting a customer who was in line in front of me. ( I noticed two employees. One was not assisting any customers 🧐)I waited and waited and waited. 3 cars arrived after my arrival and my order still had not been taken. I gathered my things, left and headed to Starbucks.....you should go elsewhere, too (preferably Starbucks) if you’re considering this place

Love this place and their mission to help! They’ve done an amazing job during the pandemic

The Empty Cup is fantastic! The folks are extremely nice, they have goodies from local bakeries (including gluten free) and cereal. The best part is proceeds go to benefit adoption. The atmosphere is completely unique and cozy. Come in and get coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or a plethora of other things. If you are looking to do good and have an experience, The Empty Cup is your place!

Such a cute coffee shop! Visiting from California and found this hidden gem. The staff was very friendly, the young man serving the drive thru was so sweet and helpful. Even just their plain coffee is delicious! Definitely will be back.

Hands down, my favorite coffee shop ever. I absolutely adore the cozy environment, friendly staff and generosity level of the business. It is a completely non-profit shop that supports local adoption! Could not recommend more!!!!

Good coffee shop with a purpose and heart of giving back. They help local families going through the adoption process by way of adoption grants. So every time you buy a cup, your helping give to an adoption grant.There are lots of places to sit with a mixture of tables and couches through out . There’s even a small kids area in the back. Always seems like there are people there but it closes earlier than some other coffee shops in the area but it’s not a bad place to visit at all.

Great place for students! Especially under pandemics. Lots of space outside even after they close. Wonderful hosts.

Please try Empty Cup. Its everything a coffee shop should be. The atmosphere is that if being in a good friends home. The drinks are excellent, and the business model reflects a love of humanity and goodness that many businesses lack. I instantly felt at home and welcome. Children are welcome in this coffee shop which is a huge relief for a parent who both loves coffee and wants to keep her kids engaged.

Coffee and bagels were delicious and the service was awesome!!

Im not generally the type to frequent coffee shops, but I liked this one. It has a nice cozy public seating area and is very kid-friendly. I noticed a meeting room available for patrons to reserve as well, which is a pretty cool idea. The drink I ordered was delicious, and the food looked good though I didnt try it myself.

Good coffee. Great people and atmosphere

This place over the chain coffee shops anyday hands down

BEST PLACE!! This is the PERFECT place to study. The coffee is great and the customer service is wonderful. They have a kids play room for moms (college mom’s as myself) that would like to read and or get some work done while the kids are entertained. This place is the absolutely best. I am so happy i’ve discovered it. I can’t stop bragging about it.

Friendly and kind staff. Very good coffee!!

Great place to go and drink coffee and relax. The staff is great. They always have a friendly smile and a good attitude. The coffee is just as expensive as Starbucks, but if you are going to spend that much (and you know you are) why not support a local business.

This wonderful non profit supports human adoptions! If you have time to sit, you can pick out a coffee cup and get endless empty cup refills for a super cheap price. Gluten free food and drink. They are super careful with cross-contamination. I enjoyed a coconut carmel latte and a sausage and cheese scone they carry from a local gluten free bakery! The service was impeccable!

Great place. Great coffee.

Warm, friendly, inviting. I stopped by Knoxville to visit a friend while en route to Atlanta from DC. This shop is ideally located right off the interstate. The signage is unassuming, but enter and behold a spacious venue perfect for a casual get together or semi-formal meeting area, complete with conference rooms. With true Southern hospitality, when I mentioned how long I had been driving and what time I left that morning, the baristas were genuinely concerned and asked if there was anything else they could do to ensure my comfort during the visit. Its such a joy to have that type of interaction, and it lets me know Im almost home!

Love it here. My kids loved the hot chocolate and the staff were super sweet when we had a spill. And its for a good cause!

Ive beem here twice now and I really like the atmosphere. It feels comfortable and inviting and just down right friendly. I love the comfy couches. I feel like I could come here and have a good conversation with friends or come work on my dissertation. And they coffee is pretty tasty too!And to top all that off they have a great mission: helping families adopt children!Now we just need one of the north east side of town and it will be perfect.

Great coffee. Get your coffee fix and support a great cause. The seating area is very ample, but feels like a small shop with its eclectic assortment of furniture.

Really vibey atmosphere here! They have a meeting room that you can reserve super-chill couches and tables, a little area for children and even a damn cereal bar! This is a little hidden gem in Knoxville for sure.I got the coconut latte which was amazing and filled with art and care! I just wanted to chill for a while and get away before my day started and this is definitely the place. Not too noisy and even if it is, theres enough space to cancel it out. have a cool little chalk board to let you know about events happening and theyre really positive on adoptions and taking care of the community.I almost want to call this something similar to The Pearl downtown for all the old heads out there. This ones a little bit more oriented and well-rounded but hey if you dont believe me just come check it out for yourself! I dont think youll be disappointed. Theres not much to choose from on the food side but the coffee flavors are definitely there! Now go try

The Empty Cup is a fantastic non-profit coffee shop in Knoxville. The quality of the coffee is top notch, the prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is great for working and relaxing. A childrens area is provided and (surprisingly enough) they provide baby changing tables in both the mens and the womens restrooms.

Great coffee shop. Great mission. Highly recommend this place. I had the raspberry chocolate fancy coffee. Not sure what its called. Its like a cafe mocha but chocolate and raspberry. It was so good! And a blueberry muffin. Yummy!! Wish I had a pic to upload.

Some might say quiet and cozy. Others will say original and homey. I say, relaxed and good. The atmosphere is very relaxed, theres no cookie cutter feel to anything other than the exterior. What most important, the coffee. I had a dark blend that kicked in strong half way through. I enjoyed everything about this place.

I spent a few days in this cafe as a remote office while staying in Knoxville. The drinks were good and I can appreciate their mission. I tried the lavender and honey latte as well as the winter in London tea. Also, the staff was very friendly.

I love this place. Great coffee for a good cause . They also rotate special lattes that are amazing too. The food I have tried has been amazing as well. They recently added a cereal bar which is a nice added touch. They also do have tea selections for the non coffee drinkers. The environment is great too with lots of comfortable seating options. I highly recommend this place!

The empty cup is nice. I only had a cup of tea but they have plenty of room for you to sit. The staff was friendly. Just an overall nice vibe and appreciate the sense of community there.

Love, love, love this place! Such a warm and inviting atmosphere. Professional and friendly staff. And best of all, all proceeds are donated to adoption fundraising. What better way to promote love and respect for life. Grab your bestie and head over for delicious beverages, tasty treats (scones are amazing!), and relaxing conversation.

The people there are so friendly and the environment provides an actual experience. You want to stay and enjoy your coffee because its so cozy and sweet.

Cozy and comfortable coffee shop. Great for meeting up with friends or studying solo. The pour it forward board is a nice touch.

Very. Good its was. Martless

Very pleasant surprise! Coffee was great. They are somewhat pricey, but they are raising money to help with adoption costs. So that is great. I really enjoyed the positive environment that they have. Service was friendly enough and again, the coffee was great.

I get coffee here a couple times a week. Its cozy and friendly. Staff and service is great!

Nice relaxed atmosphere. Love the medium blend coffee! My mixed berry scone was delicious warmed up with a glaze on top. My daughter loved the mocha she got and my son absolutely loved the cereal bar...lots of cereals to choose from.

We love going to the Empty Cup for coffee and conversation. Espresso drinks are well-crafted, and the food choices include gluten-free baked goods from Benefit Your Life. Theres outdoor seating, a meeting room, and a kid room with toys and comfy seats. A delightful independent coffee house.

Although awkward due to COVID (drive through order only and no dine-in sevice...seating outside only), the beverages were amazing! And server friendly. Purchase goes to a good cause.

Wonderful little place! Great family atmosphere very friendly workers and they have a great cup of coffee. I also loved the bathroom!!

Good coffee.

Nice coffee shop in West Knox with an eclectic mix of furniture. Its in a strip mall so so its not very conspicuous (kind of looks like a regular store at first glance) but theres of lots room to work or read and so many flavored lattes to choose from!

Very nice and cozy inside. But ...... youre chia comes with dairy....why??? Its 2019 folks. Get a better supplier. They are out there. Some of us cant do dairy.

I love the quiet, quaint setting. The multiple couches, and blend of high tops and tables is nice.

What a FIND!!!! Weve driven past this place several times and finally a friend asked me to meet her there. My only regret is that I didnt stop the FIRST time we saw Empty Cup! I missed a few years of outstanding atmosphere, yummy coffee, employees who really know what positive customer interaction is, and variety of sitting places. This will be my new go-to for meeting people in Knoxville. The Bavarian Chocolate coffee is a must! Christina, Oak Ridge, TN

Beautiful coffee shop that has a nice home feeling, It really feels like a home away from home. Plenty of seating is available, although the number of power outlets is limited. My only complaint is with how my latte was made. Even with it being in two paper cups, I was still burning my hand by just holding the cup. I would enjoy the latte much more if the milk was not steamed to the point where it is burning my hand and mouth.

10+ couches in here with tons of chairs and tables, and outside seating. They even have a meeting room, as well. Cozy & comfortable environment. Staff was awesome and very friendly!

Great coffee for a great cause. Profits go towards funding adoption and adoption related charities. They also sell merchandise from other charities and have a cereal bar. A good meeting place and a kids play area in the back. Downside is no door on play area that is raised a step up( I have chased down my toddler many times) and there is typically 1 or 2 people working, so there is typically a wait.

Great Christian atmosphere here. You can find lots of small groups studying. There is a small conference room that allows for a larger group, as well as plenty of seating inside and out (weather permitting)! The tips for employees go to help the local animal shelters, and they take customer donations as well, for keeping the business running.? Make

Great cause. They use real cups. Its in an old bank and the playroom is in the old bank vault. Study rooms are great for meetings or study groups. Definitely will go more often.

The most charming, comfortable, cool, awesome place to have a great cup of coffee. The pastry is overpriced but none of us should be eating that kind of thing anyway.

Very cozy coffee shop, with lots of great seating options and really delicious coffee. Only reason its not 5 stars is I wish they would have decaf on drip (like it says they do on the menu). They typically will brew a French press of decaf for you if you ask, but its kind of awkward and doesnt allow for refills.

I love this place go just about everyday on break . The people are so friendly and coffee is amazing!❤😁

Lovely place with lovely people doing lovely things. Good coffee (unlike Starbucks) and great atmosphere (unlike Starbucks) from local people (unlike Starbucks). Really its the only coffee place I visit in all of West Knoxville unless they are closed. Charming.

Absolutely the nicest and kindest staff! And so kid friendly! Any my pumpkin latte was YUM!

Great little locally owned coffee shop for a quiet place to study or have a 1 to 1 business meeting.

My favorite coffee shop! My husband and I love it so much we would visit almost weekly not just for a espresso or dirty chai with extra shot of espresso or a blended mocha... but the atmosphere there is so genuine and very comfortable to hang out and play games, work online or do some knitting with friends! Extremely child friendly (they have their own playroom) and the staff there are so lovely and friendly!I love their heart for adoption! Check them out and take an hour or so by bringing a good book or a project youre working on and enjoy yourself there!

Ive been looking for a good cup of chai since moving to Knoxville and just happened upon Empty Cup. Starbucks chai isnt consistent and Id rather support a local place. Ive tried a few other that came recommended, but wasnt pleased. (Ill refrain from bashing them by name).I dont drink coffee, so I cant comment on that. The space has a lot of comfortable seating -- something thats hard to find in most coffee shops these days. While most places are hip and quaint, they lack seating and what seating they have are hard surfaces that seem to beg you not to stay long. Empty Cups environment invites you to sit and relax for a bit.

Very good coffee. Very big store lots of cool flavors to choose from. Was a good stop to grab some coffee and the staff seems really nice and have a good cause behind them. Would return if we are in the area.

The coffee was great and I love that my tips went to an awesome cause! Highly recommended!

Good coffee with a great cause and reasonable pricing! Really comfy couches and chairs. Good working environment. Theres a childrens play area too.

Great coffee, friendly staff and comfortable seating arrangements. I also love that they support adoptions.

I love visiting this place with my son! They have an awesome playroom that makes it easy for me to work while sitting next to him as he plays! Also they have the best Chai latte in town!!

Always a great experience! Friendly staff and delicious food

Welcoming comfortable local coffee house. Reminds me of Friends, because there are lots of nooks to relax in. The coffee is smooth and tasty. Theres a childrens area tucked into a converted vault that has cozy seating, toys, and a lovely mural. Theres also a private room that can be reserved for meetings and whatnot.

I love this place. So did my husband. And he’s a hard sell. The Costa Rican French press was absolutely delicious. We’ll definitely be returning.

I attended a foster, and/or adopt support group. This cafe supports this. The coffee vanilla latte was delicious.

My sister came from the West Coast and treid this place. It was great and now one of my new go to places.

Delicious latte, nice staff, and comfortable atmosphere. What more do you need?

Great coffeeshop! Love that they have gluten-free bakery items and a small play area for kids.

Really good coffee. Good place to study. It is quiet and lots of seating.

EDIT: they upgraded their internet recently and I get excellent speeds. Also this place is the one coffee shop that has reasonably priced coffee. I measured 65 MB down / 7 MB up over wifi.Great coffee and nice place to be. If you are trying to get work done at a coffee shop I highly recommend this place.