Matt Sears of Haskel Sears Design built the new Mad Priest coffee and cocktail bar on Cherry Street and is a co-owner along with Mad Priest Coffee Roasters’ owner Michael Rice. Connected to the coffee counter is the former bar from Chattanooga-renowned Yesterday’s restaurant for people to sit and sip either coffee or alcohol.Mad Priest sites
1900 Broad St. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.719 Cherry St. Open Monday-Thursday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday from 7 a.m. to midnight and Saturday from 8 a.m. to midnight.Full service begins daily at 5 p.m.
The Mad Priest Coffee & Cocktails opened this week in Chattanooga’s downtown at 719 Cherry St., but owner Michael Rice said he hopes the unique concept and atmosphere will help transport customers to another part of the world.
With décor described as “Old World-meets-Ottoman Empire-meets-French Revolution,” Rice said the new bar and restaurant’s design was inspired from Mad Priest’s namesake – a character in the novel “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas – and the mission of the local business to connect people, create cultural experiences and support refugees in the area.
Rice first opened Mad Priest Coffee Roasters at 1900 Broad St. in 2016 before expanding to the Cherry Street location.
“When people walk in the door, we want them to feel like they are walking into a different place,” Rice said Thursday during the second day of grand opening celebrations. “It’s the little details that make us different.”