Daniel LindleyTIMELIME: The Lindley brothers in Chattanooga's dining scene2000 - Nathan Lindley founds St. John's and brings brother Daniel Lindley on as chef2005 - Daniel Lindley buys St. John's from Nathan Lindley, who partners with Josh Carter2009 - Nathan Lindley opens Public House2009 - Daniel Lindley opens Alleia2010 - Nathan Lindley opens The Social2014 - Nathan Lindley announces new Italian restaurant, Primo2014 - Daniel Lindley sells St. John's to Carter, who takes over as sole ownerSource: Nathan and Daniel Lindley
The Lindley brothers' Chattanooga restaurant reign took another turn Wednesday when Daniel Lindley sold his majority stake in St. John's Restaurant and Meeting Place to his minority partner, Josh Carter.
Daniel Lindley and Carter have been partners at the fine dining eateries for almost 10 years -- ever since Daniel bought St. John's from brother Nathan Lindley in 2005. But now Carter and Daniel Lindley have decided to go their separate ways. The sale closed Wednesday.
"[We] decided it was best to terminate our partnership," Daniel Lindley said. "Josh is excited to take over operations and I am open to closing this chapter of my career, in order to pursue other opportunities in Chattanooga which do not involve fine dining."
Carter, who started as a server at St. John's in 2000 and became an owner in 2005, will now take over as sole owner. And three-year St. John's chef Rebecca Barron will take over as executive chef in Daniel Lindley's place. But other than that, not much else will change at St. John's, Carter said.
"The people who were making great food there yesterday will be making great food there tonight," he said. "I've been with St. John's since the first day it opened, so what I'm looking to do is just continue pursuing excellence and finding the freshest, most local products we can."
St. John's employs about 40 people, Carter added.
The Lindley brothers own a handful of Chattanooga's top restaurants and bars. Nathan Lindley runs Public House and The Social, and announced in March that he's opening a new Italian restaurant, called Primo, on Hixson Pike this spring. Besides owning St. John's, Daniel Lindley started Alleia, an Italian restaurant on Main Street, in 2009.
Daniel Lindley will continue to work at Alleia and said in a release he plans to announce new projects "in the near future." He will not be involved in Nathan Lindley's new restaurant on Hixson Pike.
Contact staff writer Shelly Bradbury at 423-757-6525 or sbradbury@timesfreepress.com with tips and story ideas.