Monday around lunchtime, the corner of Market and Cowart streets was noticeably quiet.
Porkers Bar-B-Que, a downtown staple for meats and meetings, was closed.
Owner Beau Tucker was inside, packing boxes, moving equipment and taking down well-loved wall decorations.
"This one is my favorite," Tucker said as he pulled a framed Bull Durham tobacco ad from the stack that included a framed Chattanooga Times Free Press front page after Tennessee won the nation football title, Riverbend posters, and a number of UTC and NASCAR posters.
Jay Greeson"I'm not that nostalgic a guy, to be honest," said Tucker, who has been the sole owner of the restaurant since 2008. "Yeah, there were a lot of good times here and a lot of good friends, but it's over.
"Let's move on."
Move on. It's great advice.
"Move on" could cover the bad times that seem unbearable and the good times that feel unbeatable.
Move on.
That's what Tucker is planning. He's looking for a new - and much smaller and cheaper - home to station Porkers. There will be a food truck in the future. And catering.
Barbecue - and folks - that good seem to find ways back into circulation.
Still, even if Tucker won't go for the sentimental sauce, I will.
We measure moments in memories, and those memories often are triggered by senses and scenes.
Next door to Porkers used to be Mom's Italian Villa, where my 9-year-old son developed a love for pizza. Since my parents moved to town, Dad and I have lunch every Thursday, and almost every time we'd swing by Tucker's place. He'd get the loaded potato; I'd go with the Miss Piggy.
Good times. Gone times.
It feels as if part of our old school Chattanooga connection was shuttered last Friday when Porkers closed its doors.
Tucker said sales had flat-lined over the last couple of years. But the prime location in a growing Southside meant rent was increasing.
It happened to Mom's - which will become a new law office - and now to Porkers. Who knows what the building will hold next? Could be a living space. Could be a fancy, swanky restaurant called Cool's or Crafty's.
Tucker's going to be fine. He and his staff are great at what they do, after all.
(It also should be mentioned that Porkers provided a number of pregame meals to several area high school football teams. Maybe the new Crafty's can send some gouda chips over next year.)
Tucker was in fine spirits Monday, talking sports, plotting the future, laughing about the behind-the- grill grease.
"[The moving out process] sucks, sure, but we'll move on," he said.
We all will.
But before we do, let me say thanks for the memories, Porkers.
Now we're down to a few old-school familiar Chattanooga eating institutions - and if they close Wally's, well, they're going to have to pry the cold fork from my dead fingers.
That's not nostalgia.
That's the new Chattanooga - good and bad.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and 423-757-6343.