Amanda Trotter left the Chattanooga area after graduating from Heritage High School in 2013 to pursue a degree in pre-med and biology but returned after college to be closer to her family and former husband, Jackson Todd.
Once here, she began working the front of the house with Todd on the North Shore at the Pizza Bros restaurant, which he co-founded with his brother, Cal.
“I helped start it, and realized I liked restaurants and wanted to create my own concept,” she said in a telephone interview.
She didn’t know at the time what that concept would be but soon realized that once Terra Nostra, one of her favorite places to dine, closed, Chattanooga was missing a place that served tapas.
Tapas are small Spanish-influenced appetizers or snacks often combined to make a larger meal and are to be shared with tablemates.
“I loved it, and it was there for 17 years,” she said of Terra Nostra.
“It didn’t go away because people didn’t like it,” she said, noting that the owners were simply ready to move on to other projects.
Once she locked in on the idea, she visited several tapas restaurants around the South and began putting her plan together. It will become a reality Sept. 6 with a soft opening.
Trotter said the restaurant will showcase about 30 Spanish tapas and 35 wines. About 60% of those will be Spanish as well. The full bar will also offer signature sangrias and a dozen beers on tap.
“We want to provide the perfect dining experience,” she said. “We will strive to do right and exceed diner expectations.”
Trotter said the name of the restaurant, Amada Tapas and Wine, includes her name in Latin which means “beloved or lovable woman.” She said the restaurant has a feminine touch with its color scheme of rich purples.
Trotter said she is self-taught as a cook with hours and hours of watching videos about tapas. She said she has enlisted Adam Lawson, a veteran with experience at the Read House, Edwin Hotel and Chattanoogan Hotel.
“I’ve had a passion for food since a young age and have been influenced by European cooking/culture,” Lawson said in a text. “When I met Amanda, I was immediately inspired by the Spanish theme and her vision for the restaurant. I’m honored to be a part of Amada and tell our story through these European dishes and bring those bold flavors to the South.”
Trotter said she plans to be involved in the kitchen, at least in the beginning, but that her passion is front of the house and interacting with customers.
The restaurant, which will take up the first floor of a building at 1413 Chestnut St., will have 74 seats inside the 2,700-square-foot space.
Trotter said her parents were at first a little taken aback at her foregoing her degree, but they have since embraced the idea.
“My dad was like, ‘Dang,’ but they know I’m in love with this job,” she said.
Her mother, Gayla Trotter, bought in so much she is partnering in the restaurant.
“Amanda and I wanted to start a business together and had been looking into a wedding venue,” Gayla Trotter said in an email. “We had viewed lots of properties with no luck in finding anything that worked for us, then COVID hit.
“We tucked that idea away, but also saw so many people having backyard weddings and smaller attendances. Then Amanda approached us with the idea of a tapas restaurant in Chattanooga. She had done her homework, had a wonderful presentation of how it would work, why Chattanooga needed this kind of concept. Enough said, I was sold right away.”
Trotter’s parents are so invested in the restaurant, they sold some investments to help fund it.
“To say we are invested into this adventure is an understatement,” Gayla said. “It’s a jump with two feet, cards on the table-all in, sink or swim moment, and we couldn’t be prouder of the outcome and our daughter’s hard work. It’s a family affair as well. Our son (Cory) will be working in the kitchen alongside Chef Adam as one of the kitchen staff.”
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Follow him on Twitter @BarryJC.