Yonder Franklin NC: A Community Market, Live Music, and Lodging Off Georgia Road
Yonder in Franklin NC is a locally owned community market, outdoor music venue, and yoga lawn at 151 Hillcrest Avenue, on the hillside above the traffic circle where Georgia Road meets Wayah Street. Owners Hannah and Alan Edwards stock it with regional meats, produce, cheeses, bread, and natural wines, and host concerts on the lawn from spring into fall. For anyone considering a move to Franklin, it shows what everyday life here can look like.
From a Restaurant Plan to a Real-Food Market
Yonder Community Market has been locally owned and operated since 2018, according to its Visit Smokies listing. Just before the pandemic began in 2020, Hannah and Alan Edwards bought a run-down property on Hillcrest Avenue intending to open a larger restaurant. As Macon Sense reported, those plans fell through, and the couple rebuilt the property as a specialty food store focused on local and regionally sourced groceries. The Edwards came to Macon County from Charlotte, where they met.
The market sits next to Smart Pharmacy; Macon Sense reports that the pharmacy's owners cleared the way for the new store at 151 Hillcrest.
What You Will Find at Yonder in Franklin NC
Visitors describe shelves of local beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and trout alongside seasonal produce, local cheeses, farm eggs, and organic sourdough. Yonder's listing adds a selection of natural wines, low-sugar and gluten-free ciders, and locally made mead. The store also carries pantry staples, coffee and tea, and prepared foods, and it has hosted classes such as fermenting workshops.
Among Franklin grocery stores, Yonder fills a specific niche. It describes itself as the town's only locally sourced real-foods grocer, making it a complement to a full-size supermarket rather than a replacement. Check Yonder's website for current hours before you go.
Live Music and Yoga on the Lawn
Yonder's side lawn, shaded by old oaks, doubles as a concert venue. According to its listing, the market hosts live music on the lawn twice a month from May through October, and every event is family-friendly and dog-friendly. The shows range from emerging singer-songwriters to touring names; in 2022, Smoky Mountain News covered an intimate solo set there by Tommy Stinson, a founding member of The Replacements.
Outdoor yoga and movement classes run on the lawn year-round. Yonder posts its full calendar of concerts and classes on its website.
Places to Stay in Franklin NC, Right Next Door
Yonder has offered on-site lodging for visitors, which Smoky Mountain News described in 2022 as an Airbnb on the property. For someone visiting Franklin to look at homes, staying in town near a market, a pharmacy, and Georgia Road puts showings in Franklin, Otto, and the surrounding coves within easy reach. Check current availability with Yonder directly, or see our vacation rentals page for other options.
What This Means If You Are Moving to Franklin
Places like Yonder shape what daily life feels like in a mountain town more than any single house does. If walking or a short drive to a market, music, and classes matters to you, focus your search on in-town Franklin rather than remote acreage. In-town options include Sanctuary Village, a walkable neighborhood near Main Street, and River Green Condominiums (listed by Vignette Realty; see disclosure). You can also browse Franklin properties for sale or read our guide to Franklin NC neighborhoods.
Yonder sits just outside downtown Franklin, so it also shows how close in-town living keeps you to everyday stops. When you compare homes, note the drive to the places you would use every week, such as a market, a pharmacy, and a music or class schedule you would actually attend, not just the distance to Main Street.
If you are selling an in-town Franklin home, nearby places like Yonder are part of what buyers are paying for. Mention the short trip to the market, the lawn concerts, and other neighborhood stops in your listing story, and start with a home valuation based on recent in-town sales.
For a first visit, plan a weekday and a weekend: shop at Yonder, catch a lawn concert if one is scheduled, and drive the neighborhoods you are considering at different times of day. Our out-of-state buyer's guide to Franklin covers the rest of the trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Yonder in Franklin NC?
Yonder Community Market is at 151 Hillcrest Avenue in Franklin, North Carolina, on the hillside off the traffic circle between Georgia Road and Wayah Street. It sits next to Smart Pharmacy. The property includes the market, an outdoor lawn used for concerts and yoga, and on-site lodging for visitors.
What does Yonder Community Market sell?
Yonder sells locally and regionally sourced groceries, including local meats and trout, seasonal produce, cheeses, farm eggs, organic sourdough, natural wines, ciders, and locally made mead. It also carries pantry items, coffee, tea, and prepared foods. It describes itself as Franklin's only locally sourced real-foods grocer.
Does Yonder in Franklin have live music?
Yes. Yonder hosts live music on its lawn twice a month from May through October, according to its Visit Smokies listing. Events are family-friendly and dog-friendly, and the store stays open during shows for drinks and snacks. Yonder posts the full concert calendar on its website.
Who owns Yonder in Franklin NC?
Hannah and Alan Edwards own Yonder; they moved to Macon County from Charlotte. They bought the Hillcrest Avenue property just before the pandemic began in 2020, planning a restaurant, and rebuilt it instead as a specialty market focused on local and regional food, music, and community events.
Are there grocery stores in Franklin, NC besides Yonder?
Yes. Yonder is a specialty market focused on local and regionally sourced food, so most Franklin households pair it with a full-size supermarket for everyday staples. Franklin also has full-size supermarkets, and a Vignette Realty broker can point out which are closest to a home you are considering.
You May Be Interested In
- 828 Cafe in Franklin, North Carolina - another locally owned Franklin spot.
- Building a Franklin Saturday Around the Gazebo - how a summer weekend in town comes together.
- Franklin, North Carolina - the town, its neighborhoods, and current homes for sale.
- Relocation Resources - planning a move to Franklin from out of state.
- Macon Sense: Yonder Evolving With True Purpose - the local paper's profile of the owners.
Talk with a Vignette Realty broker about homes near Yonder in Franklin NC before your next visit.
Vignette Realty is a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage with offices in Franklin and Highlands, NC. Vignette Realty has sponsored summer music events at Yonder, and Vignette brokers Kristie Brennan and Rashaune De La Cruz helped the owners find the Hillcrest Avenue location. This is not an independent review, and Yonder does not compensate Vignette Realty for this article. Vignette Realty is also the listing brokerage for River Green Condominiums, linked above. Business details come from Yonder's public listings and the linked news coverage, as of September 2026; confirm hours and events with Yonder. Equal Housing Opportunity.
