River Drifters Bar & Grill isn't even open yet but last Thursday at least six customers strolled into the restaurant off Suck Creed Road hungry for dinner - many of them still in their swimsuits and fresh off the Tennessee River that flows across the road.
Opening Monday, River Drifters at 1925 Suck Creek Road is the newest venture of former downtown Chattanooga Cheeburger Cheeburger owners Charlie and Renee Eich who were forced out of their location off Market Street last March when the 141-year-old brick building collapsed.
Not ones to stay down for long though, the couple is branching off of the Cheeburger Cheeburger franchise and trying their own thing with River Drifters, which will offer craft beer from local breweries, burgers and sandwiches for about $8 each and stand-up paddle board and kayak rentals for diners to hop on before or after their meals.
Some menu items are named after family members, like "The Chaser" and the "Granny G" sandwiches named after their son and Renee's grandmother. The meatball sub is a recipe from Charlie's grandmother.
"We were finally able to do the menu we wanted to do and not have the pressures of being a franchise," Charlie said. "Cheeburger was a great franchise, but you are still limited on some stuff."
Opening just in time for the July 4th holiday, the space can accomodate about 70 guests and includes outside seating, as well. The couple said they wanted a place where they could bring their kids and provide a family-friendly atmostphere for guests.
On Thursday, their 3-year-old daugther Ella sat on a red, leather couch dressing her barbie dolls while her mom and dad sat in a booth nearby. They also have two sons - Chaz, 18, and Chase, 12.
"You are going to see that kid and our two boys daily," Charlie said, pointing to his youngest and only daughter. "We wanted to be somewhere where we could be with the kids and just feel comfortable."
Even though lawsuits that sprang up between the Eichs and their landlord in the aftermath of Cheeburger Cheeburger collapsing still have not been settled in court, the couple said they didn't want to wait any longer to get on with their life and their business. Charlie and Renee still operate a Cheeburger Cheeburger franchise in Huntsville, Ala.
"I'd love for it to be a thing of the past, but I can't control the speed of the legal system," Charlie said.
The couple did consider reopening a Cheeburger location in Chattanooga. They owned their Market Street location for 20 years.
"We kind of talked about doing another Cheeburger because it was so good to us," Renee said. "We just wanted something a little bit more relaxed, though."
Charlie said they were one of the original staples of downtown and moved into their old location just shortly after the Tennessee Aquarium arrived.
"It was tempting to try and duplicate the past but not realistic," he said. "We had a prime spot. We were a part of people's traditions."
The couple was considering a move into Jordan Crossing in East Ridge for their next restaurant concept because of the tax incentives being offered, but when Charlie and his son were riding their motorcycles along Suck Creek Road one day, they saw the nearly 3,000-square-foot River Drifters space and the scenic location and less costlier investment was too tempting.
"When you look at downtown with the continued parking struggles - TGI Fridays is gone, Applebees is gone, and a lot of people attribute it to parking," Charlie said. "A lot of stuff is moving to the Southside, but I didn't want to be in with 900 other people fighting for the same piece of pie."
"We have ample parking here," Renee added.
For River Drifters, the biggest challenge will be the perception people have of Suck Creek Road as being out of the way for most, Charlie said.
"But really it's only 2.2 miles from Signal Mountain Road and just a few minutes from downtown. It's really very, very close," he said.
Charlie said they will have just 10 employees to start - with most of them being family members, friends and former Cheeburger Cheeburger employees. The couple is just leasing the building right now but they may try and buy it in the future.
The Eichs said they hope to need more employees in the future, but they won't mind some downtime during their day.
"If it's slow, I'm going to take my paddleboard over there," Renee said, pointing toward the river. "I'll work on my tan and be back for dinner. That's the kind of life we were wanting."
River Drifters will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Board rentals will begin at 9 a.m. each day. For more information about rentals, visit River Drifters website, riverdrifterschatt.com, or call at 423-80-KAYAK.
Contact staff writer Allison Shirk at ashirk@timesfreepress.com, @Allison_Shirk or 423-757-6651.