Like a lot of business people, restaurateur Jason Bowers spent some time during the pandemic taking stock of his situation as owner of Bitter Alibi and Daily Ration, and he liked what he saw well enough to decide to expand. He recently purchased the former Hummingbird Pastaria restaurant on Signal Mountain and the Big Frog Brewing Co. on Dayton Boulevard in Red Bank.
"This has been a time to evaluate and for us, it is a time to grow," he said. "We've managed to keep a strong group of players, so it is time to expand."
He plans to turn the 1,000-square-foot brewery into a taproom, but with a new name and concept. As for the Signal Mountain location, he plans to focus on dinner and weekend brunches, but beyond that, he isn't sure exactly what the restaurant will look like or even be called. It will not be like either Bitter Alibi or Daily Ration.
"We are still very early in the planning stages deciding what the concept and the name will be," he said.
He hopes to have it opened by the summer, and he hopes to add a back patio to the 2,500-square-foot space.
Bowers bought the former Coin-Op space on M.L. King Boulevard in 2021, around the corner from Bitter Alibi, and is developing that, as well.
Bitter Alibi is known for its lunch and dinner menu featuring bowls, including the Bang Bang Curry bowl with rice, shiitake mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, carrots, jalapeno, cilantro and peanuts in a green coconut curry sauce and the B.A. Ramen with noodles, glazed pork belly, mushroom, kale, carrot and soft-boiled egg.
It also serves a Pho-Rench Dip sandwich with slow-cooked pork, rainbow veg, pickled jalapenos, red pepper cream and cilantro on a baguette with a side of pho broth for dipping.
Daily Ration is more focused on breakfast and lunch items with items such as the Kimchi Rice Bowl with glazed pork belly, kimchi, cilantro-lime rice, pickles, soft-boiled egg and house Korean barbecue sauce, and the Heirloom Avocado Toast with locally sourced multigrain bread, smashed avocado, cherry heirloom tomato salad, feta and soft-boiled egg. It also offers burritos and sandwiches.
"The new places will be completely different, but we are still developing them," Bowers said of the Signal Mountain eatery, next door to Mountain Service Imports.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.