Eatery set near North Shore bridge

Jimmy Hudson, fresh from selling out his North Shore commercial space in the Terrace at Frazier, said Tuesday that he plans to build a two-story restaurant at 202 Frazier Ave. this summer.

Formerly the Northside Lunch, the current structure is rumored to have counted gangster Al Capone among its diners in decades past, though he was promptly escorted out of town upon being spotted, Hudson said.

The new 5,000-square-foot restaurant will serve as "a gateway structure onto the bridge," Hudson said, with covered porch seating overlooking Coolidge Park, the Walnut Street Bridge and the Tennessee River.

"We are looking for a modern-day Northside Lunch to develop a sit-down, casual restaurant at one of the best locations on the North Shore," Hudson said.

Cullon Hooks, sales agent for Grubb & Ellis/Hudson, said the restaurant will boast some of the best views at any restaurant in Chattanooga, as well as continue the lunch tradition dating to the 1800s.

"No other restaurant location in Chattanooga will be able to offer such incredible views," Hooks said. "This is the perfect location for a landmark Chattanooga restaurant."

The building design offers panoramic views of the river, all four bridges, downtown and Lookout Mountain, while blending the exterior into the style of existing structures, according to Bob Franklin, architect at the Franklin Design Group.

To build it, the cost could exceed $550,000 for the structure itself, Hudson said. But the price of finishing the interior won't be known until he secures a tenant.

Hudson acquired the rights to develop the site from owners Bill and Mary Humphlett, of Atlanta, with whom he is partnering on the project, he said.

"I've been after them for years about this, and they're finally giving me the green light," he said.

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