The owner of the Chattanooga Red Wolves soccer team has bought the former Buehler’s Market building downtown and plans to put into play a sports-themed restaurant.
Businessman Bob Martino expects to kick in between $3.5 million and $4 million for the project to remake the one-level building at 429 Market St. that has been empty since 2017 when Buehler’s shut down after 105 years.
The 6,369-square-foot eatery will undergo remodeling to offer a rooftop bar, outdoor seating, and a stage for live entertainment, according to the Utah real estate developer who brought the professional soccer team to the city in 2019.
“This restaurant will become the heartbeat of all things sports and entertainment in Chattanooga,” he said.
The restaurant is to open late this year and should give a shot in the arm to that part of downtown.