Cherry Street Brewing on the North Shore is closing this weekend, the fifth bar in downtown Chattanooga to close in the past year.
The brewery, taproom and restaurant at 300 Cherokee Blvd. opened in 2021 in the former 11,000-square-foot Heaven & Ale brewery space in North Chattanooga. It was the third Cherry Street Brewing location by co-owners Nick Tanner and his sister, Alisa Tanner-Wall, who previously opened similar Cherry Street Brewing outlets in Cummings and Alpharetta, Georgia, more than a decade ago.
In a web post, the owners said they were closing their Chattanooga location Sunday "with heavy hearts." Alisa Tanner-Wall said in an emailed statement Friday she was "honestly beside myself at the moment" and referred to a statement posted on the restaurant website.
"This decision does not come easy for us," the siblings said in the statement. "We poured our hearts and souls, along with many others, into making it a welcoming neighborhood brewpub for families and all to relax and enjoy some good bites and brews in the community."
The closing of Cherry Street Brewing in North Chattanooga follows the closing last year of Honest Pint on Patten Parkway in March, Walk-On's sports bar on Broad Street in May, Barley's Taproom on M.L. King Boulevard in September and Big River Bar & Grille on Broad Street in October.
The downtown taverns struggled to recover business lost during the pandemic, especially with more workers at downtown offices staying at home with remote or hybrid work schedules. With fewer workers downtown, that left a smaller market to attract to bars after work.
Most of the more than 10,000 employees and contractors who previously came to work most every day at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Unum and TVA power headquarters in downtown Chattanooga now spend some or most of their work time outside of the office, working remotely. Many other corporate, law and bank offices downtown also have workers doing at least some of their work at home and not coming downtown as regularly as in the past.
The owners of Cherry Street Brewing said they love the city and "called Chattanooga home for the last two years." But business hasn't been sufficient to maintain the site, they said.
The owners said they are throwing a closing party this weekend at their Chattanooga location before closing down Sunday night.
"We hope you will join us as we celebrate the good times, further support our staff and kick as many kegs as possible," they said in their web post.
The Cherry Street Tavern, which has different owners, is unaffected.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.
Photo by Dave Flessner / The Cherry Street Brewing at 300 Cherokee Boulevard on the North Shore, seen Friday. is closing Sunday after more than two years of operation on the North Shore.