The Beast and the Barrel restaurant on the North Shore has closed, the latest restaurant victim of the coronavirus pandemic.
The gastropub at 16 Frazier Avenue was opened in 2014 in the revamped site of the former Northshore Grille and was operated by the same ownership group that also owns and operates other downtown restaurants, including Hair of the Dog, Honest Pint and the Mean Mug Coffee shop.
The owners of the Beast + Barrel closed the restaurant permanently Sunday night and announced the permanent shutdown of the eatery on its Facebook page.
"After much effort to stay in business over the last year, we have had to succumb and close Beast + Barrel permanently," the owners wrote in a Facebook post.
Matt Lewis, the veteran restauranteur who helped open the Beast + Barrel, continues to operate his three other downtown establishments.
The Beast and Barrel was located in an 8,000-square-foot storefront at 16 Frazier Avenues built in 1945 and currently owned by Vincent Properties LLC in Atlanta, according to Hamilton County property records.
The casual restaurant featured a rustic bar area adorned with coffered ceiling, pendant lights and exposed brick walls. The new American-style fare of food selections offered for lunch and dinner featured burgers, chops and seafood, some variations of which are available on B+B's happy hour menu. Beast + Barrel also featured around a dozen regional craft beers on tap with offerings from local breweries including Odd Story, Wanderlinger and the Terminal.
As a gathering place, pub and eatery popular with both tourists and residents, Beast + Barrel was particularly susceptible to the restrictions imposed upon bars and restaurants to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and it was less able than many restaurants to move to delivery or to-go service.
The closing of Beast + Barrel follows the closing of Karl's restaurant in Hixson and several Pizza Hut restaurants in Chattanooga already this year and more restaurant closings are expected.
Nationwide, a survey in September by the National Restaurant Association estimates that nearly one in six restaurants, of nearly 100,000 restaurants, will ultimately close or shut down for prolonged periods, putting nearly 3 million employees out of work.
The survey, which asked restaurant operators in September about the six-month impact of the pandemic on their businesses, found that the foodservice industry lost $165 billion in revenue March–July and is on track to lose $240 billion this year.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6340,