Tomlinson's Restaurant was on McCallie Avenue. Click to enlarge.
When we think of the Great Depression years of the 1930’s, it would be easy to believe that economic conditions were not favorable for starting a new business. However, many undaunted entrepreneurs were able, through their vision, determination, and support of family and friends, to launch successful ventures. One example locally was the Tomlinson Restaurant, opened in 1935 by Robert L. Tomlinson at the southwest corner of McCallie Avenue and Houston Street.
The inspiration for starting a restaurant occurred during Mr. Tomlinson’s partnership with his brother in a chain of drug stores. He noticed that people would often spend more on meals at drug store counters than on medications. On July 1, 1935, Bob and Grace Tomlinson opened their restaurant’s doors to the public. At that time, the area around McCallie Avenue included several neighborhoods within walking distance of the restaurant. There were also the “Sunday-after-church” diners from many nearby churches. Interstate Life and Accident and other businesses provided weekday customers.
Tomlinson’s menu included soups, gumbos, seafood (prepared by a New Orleans chef), skillet fried chicken, country ham, and vegetables. The restaurant was famous for its recipes for cole slaw and apple pie. A postcard of the restaurant commented that “You will like this spot and you can conscientiously recommend it to your friends.” In 1936, Mr. Tomlinson organized the Chattanooga Restaurant Association and was its first president. Beginning in 1938, he served as president of the Tennessee State Restaurant Association for five years. His restaurant business continued to grow, and after three expansions, the seating capacity increased to 209 and served an average 1,700 customers per day.
By 1959, however, traffic patterns had changed around the McCallie Avenue business. Suburban development in areas such as Brainerd had attracted many residents, and Mr. Tomlinson decided to build a new restaurant to serve them at 5501 Brainerd Road. He also noted that “business has fallen off by 50 per cent since McCallie Avenue was made a one-way street.” Interstate Life and Accident acquired the downtown restaurant property, and opened an office that included a general agency as well as the studios of WDOD Radio, which Interstate owned at the time. Mr. and Mrs. Tomlinson, joined by son R. L. Jr., operated the Brainerd restaurant until the death of Mr. Tomlinson in 1969. The restaurant was sold to Holiday Inn in 1972.
In my research, I have been unable to determine if Interstate Life and Accident demolished the entire building and built a new building, or retained a portion of it while constructing a new front. If you have memories of the Tomlinson Restaurant or know what happened to its original building, please contact me at jolleyh@signaldata.net.