The Mad Priest, an all-day cafe and bar on Cherry Street opened six months ago with a goal to create a space where all races and cultures were welcome in downtown Chattanooga to enjoy quality beverages and food. One way to go about doing that is through diverse programming, both inside its space and outside in the new Cooper’s Alley.
Since it opened in late October, it has hosted local musicians for a music series on Thursday nights, celebrated various cultural holidays, taught education classes focused on coffee or spirits, collaborated with other local food businesses for kitchen and brunch takeovers, as well as immersive cultural events like the recent “An Evening in Argentina” with Panoram Imports.
In addition, The Mad Priest has been involved in many of the events in the new “Cooper’s Alley” connected to its back patio like City Beats, Alley Hour, and the Shindig in Cooper’s Alley.
Its next immersive cultural event will be in Cooper’s Alley, “An Evening in India” on Saturday, July 27, featuring the world famous Indian band, The Raghu Dixit Project, and Indian street food vendors. Also in Cooper’s Alley, it is co-hosting a free “Film Night in Cooper’s Alley” (every last Wednesday of the month), hosting a “Midnight Meditations” event with Velvet Poetry on June 29, and more.
On the food side of things, it is showcasing the talent and diversity of the Chattanooga food scene in its kitchen takeover series.
Its current Brunch Takeover with Syrup and Eggs (Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.) will go through June 8. And a Pakistani brunch takeover (featuring Halwa Puri) will start Saturdays on June 15. In the evenings, the Vegan Takeover with Your Local Seitanist (every third Wednesday) has been a success, and there will be more ethnic food coming with takeovers by Jinan’s Kitchen (Iraqi food) and El Quijote (Spanish food) in June. Watch its Facebook event page for more details.