Lee Epstein and Jacob Lemus are reopening City Café Diner in a new downtown location, 511 Broad St. For 20 years it was in Days Inn Rivergate Hotel at 901 Carter St., but the lease was terminated by new owners of the hotel.
City Cafe is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is known for its desserts.
There is another Chattanooga location of City Café, at 7641 Lee Highway, and Mr. Epstein also owns Myan Kitchen on Broad Street, a Latin American restaurant. The new City Cafe will still have the same cakes and the same large menu and staff. The Chattanooga Beer Board approved the restaurant for a permit to sell beer at the new location.
A new bar, The Dragon’s Roast, will be opening on the North Shore at 212 Frazier Ave. beside Stone Cup coffee shop. Owner Joshua Manning told the beer board that he has remodeled the space and added a stage for having live, singer/songwriter type music. The bar, with a capacity of around 50, and an outdoor space on the back patio will have a focus on beer and food.
Mr. Manning also owns the Dragon at 508 Broad St., which focuses on Cannabis products. It will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday from 2 until 10 p.m. and closed on Monday and Tuesday. A doorman who takes up cover charges will also serve as security.
The Southern Bell Riverboat has been a major local attraction since 1985, said owner John Reinert. The business is under the umbrella of The Reinert Group, LLC. which operates other Chattanooga attractions. Some legal changes have been made, “only on the books,” but that triggered the need for a new beer license, which was granted unanimously at Thursday morning’s meeting of the Chattanooga Beer Board.
Tyrone Brumfield, owner of Midtown Gar & Grill, was given both a consumer and brown-bag beer permit for his business at 3469 Brainerd Road after he told the beer board that he has a security plan in place. The company to supply the security guards has not been chosen and Mr. Brumfield was warned that the company must be licensed with the state. The brown bag license will require for the person who brings in the alcohol to remove it from the bar when they leave if the bottle is not empty. Employees of the bar are not allowed to touch it. The occupancy for the bar will be less than 100.
Hours of operation will be Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. until 1 p.m. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday it will open at 12 p.m. and close at 2 a.m.
Food will be available from food trucks that will be provided with a parking area.
The Lee Highway Market, a convenience store at 9101 Lee Highway in Ooltewah, also received a carry-out beer license.