Former Vaudeville Cafe to reopen as The Venue on Market

Coming to the location formerly occupied by Vaudeville Cafe, is The Venue on Market, a versatile, 6,700-square-foot event space with multi-channel, audio-visual wiring and old-world aesthetics - and it's for-hire.

The Vaudeville Cafe closed last October after operating downtown for 15 years. At the time of the closing, Chris Hampton, general manager, said the costs of operating the 150-seat stadium-style hall and restaurant had become too much of a burden.

Now, Meredith Leastman, a Chattanooga native who spent years working overseas before coming home to the Scenic City, is taking over the space and going forward with the event business of her own.

Leastman has event planning experience, having spent years organizing large, corporate events overseas and in Atlanta. She moved back to Chattanooga five years ago.

Vaudeville Cafe actors Steve Hampton, left, as the coach, and J.C. Smith, as the class clown, perform in front of audience members during a show. The cafe closed late last year and will now be occupied by The Venue on Market

And now, Leastman says her new challenge is figuring out event planning from the venue - rather than the planning - side.

"I was actually on the other side of the road, as it were, as an event planner," Leastman said. "I would be going to people such as myself now, venue owners."

Leastman said she was drawn to the 19th Century building at 138 Market St., because it has the character of the bygone era in which it was built. The building was constructed in 1876.

"I looked at all the other spaces that were available, and they had an office feel to them, or it was a very commercial feeling, warehouse-type feel to them," she said.

She loves the exposed interior brick walls of her new event space and has tried to preserve its original look and feel as much as possible, while installing state-of-the-art lighting and audio/visual systems.

"You just feel a different vibe in that environment than I did in any other space I looked at," she said.

The Venue is already booking events, and will host a Star Wars-themed wedding this weekend.

The Venue is hosting an open house today at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on booking or reserving the space, visit www.venueonmarket.com.

Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.