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Brick walls and warm light frame a familiar scene: college students sipping over locally roasted coffee, friends gathering around handcrafted wooden tables, and a steady stream of neighbors stepping inside to escape the cold.

Some come to celebrate milestones—a new baby, a birthday, a long-awaited reunion—while others simply come for warmth and conversation. What takes shape inside the café and pub is more than a meal; it is a gathering place for a growing community.  Coffee and conversation give way to pints and shared plates, and a once-quiet corner of Jefferson City becomes a living room for the community.

Tucked just behind Carson-Newman University, the café by day and pub by night has transformed the local food scene not only with its menu, but with its mission: to build connection one table at a time.

This gathering place did not happen by accident.

It is the work of Brooke and Jacob Geldrich, two East Tennessee natives who set out to create more than a building — they wanted to create a place where people belong.

An Idea Sketched on a Napkin

Steve Kerr and Jacob Geldrich’s friendship began through Steve’s wife, Jessica, a colleague of Jacob’s at Hamblen Anesthesia Group. What started as a professional connection soon grew into something more—a shared love for conversation, community, and the idea that Jefferson City needed a place where people could simply gather. One evening, that friendship led to a round of local brews and a napkin spread across the table. Bythe end of the night, the napkin held more than doodles—it had the first sketch of what would become MadOx.

Their vision, Jacob explains, was simple but intentional: “A place for non-pretentious conversation, breaking bread, having a pint, and meeting new friends.”  MadOx wasn’t going to be about trends; it was about belonging.

Roots and Return

Brooke and Jacob Geldrich share more than a business vision—they share a history rooted just down the road in Seymour, Tennessee, where both grew up and graduated from Seymour High School. From there, their paths carried them to the University of Tennessee, where Jacob pursued nursing, and Brooke studied education.

After getting married in 2005, Jacob followed in his father’s footsteps as a nurse anesthetist. He continued his education at Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia, completing his training and starting his career working as a nurse anesthetist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In 2010, however, the pull of home proved stronger than the promise of the city. Brooke and Jacob packed up and returned to East Tennessee, settling in Morristown—a move that would mark the beginning of their life as a growing family.

Over the next several years, their family expanded with the birth of their three daughters—Sydney and twins Mckenzie and Riley—and, in 2015, their son, Porter. That same year, with a newborn in their arms and a vision in their hearts, they made another bold move: relocating to a farm in Jefferson City.  It was there, on that stretch of farmland just outside town, that ideas began to take shape.

Between raising children, tending land, and dreaming about what Jefferson City could become, the seeds of Mossy’s Café and The MadOx House were quietly planted.

Brooke-The Heart of the Room:

Brooke is the steady flame behind Mossy’s and MadOx—the one who keeps the warmth burning long after the doors open each day. Friends and family alike point to Brooke’s gentle spirit as one of her defining traits.

She is the kind of person who checks in on friends, shows up with meals when families are in need, and transforms ordinary ingredients into something meaningful. 

For years, Brooke has poured that same care into her greatest work at home, homeschooling their children. Balancing motherhood, teaching, and entrepreneurship is no small task, yet she does it with quiet determination and an unmistakable sense of purpose. Her gentleness is matched by a deep drive to create something meaningful, not only for her family but for her community. 

In many ways, Brooke is the keeper of the table—the one who ensures there is always room for one more chair, one more story, one more cup of coffee. Her kindness is not fragile; it is purposeful. It is the kind of strength that builds homes, feeds families, and quietly holds a community together.

Jacob: The Spark

If Brooke is the steady flame, Jacob is the spark—the rebel builder whose energy seems to create possibility wherever he goes. In just 43 years, Jacob has lived several lifetimes of work and vision.

He graduated from nurse anesthetist school, currently co-owns Hamblen Anesthesia Group, and has built a respected career in medicine rooted in precision and care. But healing people in operating rooms was never the only way he wanted to serve his community.  Jacob’s entrepreneurial spirit spilled into nearly every corner of his life. What began as a woodworking hobby became Board with Wood, and later Willow Acres Cattle—each venture reflecting his belief that work should be both meaningful and rooted in community. 

Yet even with medicine, woodworking, and farming under his belt, Jacob felt there was still room for one more venture—one that would bring people together in a different way. That venture became MadOx. Jacob explains, “Career is what you’re paid for, and passions are what you are made for.  I was made for MadOx.”

The Story Behind the Name

Long before it became the name of a neighborhood pub, MadOx was part of Jefferson City’s campus folklore. In the early 1980s, a disagreement between Carson-Newman President J. Cordell Maddox and a local property owner became the subject of student conversation and town storytelling.

What might have remained a footnote in history instead turned into a nickname—playful, memorable, and uniquely Jefferson City. Decades later, the name has taken on new meaning. No longer tied to disagreement, The MadOx now represents a place of gathering and hospitality, honoring the past while creating something entirely new for the present generation.

Breathing New Life into Mossy Creek

In the fall of 2022, Brooke and Jacob turned their attention to one of Jefferson City’s most recognizable landmarks—the historic Mossy Creek building. With Jacob’s hands-on skill for construction and Brooke’s natural eye for design, the couple set out to restore the space with care and intention, much like Jefferson City’s own version of Chip and Joanna Gaines. 

Much of that work was done side by side with Jacob’s father, Butch Geldrich—the man who first taught him how to build with his hands. Together, father and son poured hours of labor into the renovation, shaping walls, tables, and details that now define the space. Mossy’s Café officially opened its doors in October of 2022, offering coffee, homemade baked goods, and lunch to a growing crowd of locals and students alike. Saturdays quickly became something special, as word spread about Mossy’s signature brunch—a menu shaped by Brooke’s from-scratch recipes and a belief that food should feel both comforting and celebratory. Mossy’s specialty brunch soon became a morning ritual for many in Jefferson City.

Just months later, in February of 2023, the vision expanded. As the sun set on Mossy’s daytime rhythm, MadOx emerged as its evening counterpart—a neighborhood pub rooted in the same spirit of gathering and conversation.

Together, Mossy’s by day and MadOx by night reimagined the historic space, giving new life to an old building and creating a place where Jefferson City could meet, linger, and belong.

Food with a Story

MadOx began with a simple idea and a single star on the menu: pizza. The first recipes came from an unexpected and treasured source—Mrs. Maria Johnson, known lovingly as “Mrs. Maria,” had recently moved to Jefferson City from Las Vegas. With deep Italian roots and a gift for cooking, she shared her family recipes with the MadOx team, helping shape the restaurant’s very first menu. Her pizzas became the foundation of what MadOx would grow into, blending tradition with a new hometown setting.

As the restaurant found its rhythm and its staff expanded, so did the menu. After pizza, they soon welcomed other American favorites—burgers, pastas, and homemade meatballs—each crafted with the same attention to flavor and comfort. Over time, certain dishes rose to the top as customer favorites and personal standouts for the Geldrich family: The Hot Honey Pizza, the Risky Business Burger, the Breakfast Club Burger, and the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. Each plate reflects the heart of MadOx—bold, familiar, and meant to be shared.

A slice of pizza or a stacked burger is best enjoyed with a pint or a glass of cider. The rotating draft menu highlights regional favorites such as Xül Brewing Company, Gatlinburg Brewing Company, and Ebony and Ivory, founded by two Carson-Newman graduates.  Brooke’s personal favorites on the cider menu include Rekorderlig from Sweden and Cider Chic from Gatlinburg Brewing Company. Whether guests order a single glass or sample a full flight, the invitation is always the same: come in, try something new, and stay awhile. 

Generations at Work

From the very beginning, Mossy’s and MadOx have been a true family affair. The work of building and running the restaurant has never belonged to Brooke and Jacob alone. Jacob’s three daughters have spent time serving food and learning what it means to work alongside one another. At the same time, his father has contributed through his gift of carpentry, helping shape the space itself. His mother, Robin Geldrich, brings her own contribution to the table, providing gluten-free pastries. Brooke’s mother, Charlotte Gossett, keeps the business grounded and steady by managing the books behind the scenes. Even their son Porter, now 10 years old, has found his place in the rhythm of the restaurant, eager to help wherever small hands are needed.  What takes place inside Mossy’s and MadOx is more than teamwork—it is a picture of family life lived out in public. Children learn responsibility, grandparents pass down skills, and each generation finds a role in something larger than itself. In a town built on relationships, the Geldrich family has created not just a restaurant, but a living legacy—one shaped by shared work, shared meals, and the belief that community begins at home.

A Living Room for Jefferson City

As evening settles in, the brick walls once again glow under warm light. The locals gather over pints, friends lean across handcrafted wooden tables, and the door continues to open for neighbors seeking shelter from the cold. Somewhere, a birthday is being celebrated. Somewhere else, an old friend is being welcomed home. What unfolds looks much like it did at the beginning of the day—and much like it will tomorrow.

This is what Brooke and Jacob Geldrich set out to build: not just a café and a pub, but a place where community happens naturally. Mossy’s by day and MadOx by night move with the rhythm of Jefferson City itself. In a town shaped by history and held together by relationships, their work reminds people that innovation does not always arrive with noise. Sometimes it comes quietly, in the form of a warm meal, an open door, and a table where everyone is welcome. And as long as the lights stay on and the door keeps swinging open, Mossy’s and MadOx will remain what they were always meant to be—a living room for Jefferson City, one conversation at a time.

Cafe and Pub Operating Hours and Address:

Address: 108 E Old Andrew Johnson Hwy, Jefferson City, TN 37760.

Operating Hours

Mossy’s Cafe-7:30-2:30-Tuesday-Friday

Specialty brunch on Saturday-8:30 am-1:30 pm

MadOx-Thursday-Saturday 4:00 pm-9:00 pm

Both closed on Sunday -Monday