Recently opened restaurants in the Knoxville area

Many families around the country have traditions involving restaurants, whether it's returning to the same spot year after year for birthdays, Sunday morning brunches at a favorite local diner, or Friday night pies at a neighborhood pizza place.

While plenty of diners like to visit the same restaurants every year, every month, or even every week, others also want to try something new. Consumers today are "looking for new flavor experiences that excite their palates and provide a respite from their daily routines," Stacey Kinkaid, the vice president of product development and innovation at US Foods, said in a statement. "The trend of global flavors demonstrates this as diners look for discovery and escape from the ordinary."

US Foods, a major domestic food service distributor, surveyed 1,000 people who reflect the demographic makeup of the general American population about their dining out and takeout habits. They found that the average person dines out about three times per month for a wide range of reasons, from socialization to enjoying the atmosphere, and from celebrating something special to avoiding the labor of cooking (and cleaning up afterward).

As for what types of restaurants they tend to dine in, at the top of the list is casual dining (62%), followed by fast food (57%) and fast casual (54%). Contemporary casual (32%) and bar and grills (25%) round out the top five.

Need some inspiration for your next meal out? Stacker compiled a list of recently opened restaurants in Knoxville using data from Yelp, including details on how each restaurant is rated by diners and the types of cuisine they serve. Get ready to make some new restaurant plans!

Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.