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Chattanooga: Eatery serves lunch crowd

By: Jason Reynolds
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Rick Adams

Southern Star has alighted in its new home on Broad Street, one that gives the restaurant more room for diners and is easy to find, the owner says.

“Our visibility is 100 times better,” said Rick Adams, who owns Southern Star with his wife, Nancy.

The new site at 1300 Broad St. is across from The Chattanoogan hotel and about two blocks from the restaurant’s old home in Freight Depot.

The site is visible from the road, Mr. Adams said, and he recently saw cars “10 deep” at the red light outside on Broad Street while readying the site for opening.

The new eatery has about 135 seats now, Mr. Adams said, an addition of 24 seats. The Broad Street space is about 4,800 square feet, compared to the old location’s 5,000 square feet, he said. But, Mr. Adams said, the new layout is more efficient, allowing for more seats and booths. He expects to add outdoor seating next week.

Staff Photo by Angela Lewis -- The Southern Star Restaurant moved to 1300 Broad St. a week ago after being in the Freight Depot for many years.

The new building also has free parking, accessed from the adjacent First Tennessee Bank parking lot or from Cowart Street, he said.

Lunch has been a bigger demand than dinner for Southern Star, Mr. said, but he hopes to gain more evening diners by being across from The Chattanoogan. The restaurant has had strong evening sales since moving, he said.

The major challenge in moving from Freight Depot, Mr. Adams said, was cleaning, packing and organizing. The restaurant closed May 28 and reopened on Tuesday night last week.

The Adamses took all their kitchen equipment and dining tables from Freight Depot, he said, and bought $20,000 in additional equipment.

The approximately 5,000 square feet that space that Southern Star vacated will be converted to offices, said Kim Cooley, communications director for accounting firm Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough, which owns the building.

River Street Architecture is reviewing possible designs for the space, she said, and construction could start in two to three months.

The accounting firm’s staff already miss having the restaurant next door, Ms. Cooley said, but the extra space will allow an affiliate company, SRC Technology Solutions, to move out of Henderson’s offices. About one-third of the restaurant’s space will be leased to Sandler Training, a management and business development chain new to Chattanooga, she said.

While the Adamses rented the Freight Depot space, Mr. Adams said, they are part owners of the 1300 Broad St. building.

“I’m always respectful of (rental) property, but this gives you freedom to make improvements,” Mr. Adams said. “It’s good to know you’re building equity.”

The restaurant hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday. The Southern Star also has a restaurant on Signal Mountain.