Great Smokies Flea Market

During the nineties Charles E. Atchley, Atchley, owned a few small eateries in a Sevier county mall.  The mall generated high traffic but at the expense of a high overhead. “If I could produce this same customer traffic without this huge overhead that would really be something!” Atchley thought.   Then it hit Atchley, “An indoor Flea Market - a cross between a mall and a flea market!”  Although inside flea markets were rare at the time, Atchley charged ahead with the idea.  The overhead for vendors would be just a small percentage compared to that at the malls.  It would have to be located close to a busy interstate and a strong destination draw.  Atchley found 27 plus acres of farmland in Kodak close to one of the busiest interstates in the country at exit 407 off I-40.  Exit 407 leads hundreds of thousands of visitors straight to the Great Smokies National Park.  The farmland was the perfect location.