Tucked amid the intersections of the Highland Park, Orchard Knob and Ridgedale communities, locally owned White Duck Taco Shop officially opened its doors to the public Monday to offer tacos, margaritas and more.
Since late 2018, owners Adam Lutz, and Nelson Taylor have worked to transform their vision into reality along McCallie Avenue, building their dream amidst pandemic delays and zoning law changes. Through it all, Mr. Lutz said, a commitment to quality and building a community-oriented space has been the unwavering focus.
“I’m fascinated by architecture and how a space can shape a community, particularly people’s interactions with each other in that space,” Mr. Lutz said. “We discovered this building years ago, and the concept grew from there.”
Found at 1519 McCallie Ave., White Duck makes use of the historic industrial building on the property. It also features a large, shaded patio and adjacent children’s play area. Future plans for the site include a local brewery (yet to be named) and a stage to showcase local artists.
Mr. Taylor and Mr. Lutz, along with his father Stephen Lutz as one of the founding partners, worked with local architecture firm Tinker Ma – known for its sustainable, creative designs and concepts like the former Flying Squirrel.
"There originally was a second building on the property that was condemned, which we wanted to retain as an open-roofed beer garden, but due to some pretty dramatic structural issues, we couldn’t safely make it work,” Mr. Lutz said. “Even though we couldn’t retain the structure, we were able to keep a lot of the architecturally significant pieces from the building. We turned the steel roof trusses into a fence which now wraps our grassy outdoor area.”
“This concept and this dream have been a long time in the making,” agreed Mr. Taylor, who has played a guiding role in other successful local businesses including Bitter Alibi, Oddstory Brewing and Civil Provisions. “We’re excited to be able to finally invite people in and are also already looking at those next phases: the stage area and the local brewery.”
An Asheville native, Mr. Lutz and his family have called Chattanooga home for 15 years.
“I wanted to bring some of the things I love and miss about Asheville to my hometown, Chattanooga,” Mr. Lutz said. “It’s a great cozy space, and has plenty of room to spread out. We are very excited to see how we develop the outdoor space over time, but even now, I am incredibly proud of what we have created. It is a great place to spend hours kicking back with friends and having some tacos and beer.”
White Duck Taco Shop will be open seven days a week, from 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Brewery and stage timelines will be announced later this year. An on-site parking lot as well as street parking are available.