TM Restaurant Group on Thursday announced that its Taco Mac restaurant at 423 Market Street in downtown Chattanooga will close beginning Monday, to undergo a major expansion. After completing the first half of the expansion, the restaurant is expected to reopen on July 21 in part of its newly-designed space, with the grand reopening of the fully-expanded restaurant planned for mid-August.
The popular restaurant has been a long-time favorite in downtown Chattanooga since opening in its current location in November 1998.
T.MAC’s major expansion project began back in May. Once completed, the restaurant will grow to 6,700 square feet with a fresh, redesigned interior space. The restaurant’s seating capacity will increase by 50 percent to comfortably accommodate 270 guests with indoor seating and two outdoor seating patios. Catering to the preferences of the Chattanooga community, expanded beverage options will now include 96 beers on tap, with a greater focus on local and regional craft beers, along with signature cocktails and wine. The new, larger bar area will also include additional bar seating and high top community tables.
A first for Chattanooga, the restaurant will boast three European-designed rotating booths. Accommodating eight guests each, the circular booths feature a stationary table with seating that rotates 360 degrees for easy in and out. In keeping with its local tradition as a great place to watch sports, T.MAC will offer 63 large screen LED HDTVs, doubling its previous number, artfully placed to create the optimal viewing of sports all day, everyday.
In addition to its interior expansion, T.MAC’s menu will also be expanded in mid-August. At that time, the restaurant will serve a host of new items including Oven-Baked Flatbreads, Double Hand-Breaded Tenders, a new Mushroom Steak Burger and Grilled Chicken & Swiss Sandwich and new sides including Broccoli Queso Casserole, Green Beans and Fresh Roasted Mushrooms.
“After 16 years, it’s time to refresh this Taco Mac,” said Bob Campbell, TM Restaurants CEO. “We’re looking forward to the expansion of this restaurant and the excitement we think it will bring to Market Street and downtown Chattanooga. We’re proud to be a part of this community and committed to investing in our Chattanooga location.”
Commensurate with its expansion, the restaurant will increase its staff by more than 50 percent to provide guests with T.MAC’s hallmark style of hospitality. Anyone interested in joining the local T.MAC team can apply online at tmaccareers.com or in person at the hiring center in the restaurant at 423 Market Street. The onsite hiring center will be open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. beginning Thursday, July 10.
T.MAC selected award-winning design studio ai3, Inc. to envision and implement the expansion of the Chattanooga restaurant. ai3 has been responsible for the design of many of the restaurants that have shaped Atlanta’s vibrant dining scene, including Miller Union, 4th & Swift, Holeman & Finch and Lure.