* Owners: Erik and Amanda Niel
* Restaurants:
Main Street Meats, 217 E. Main St.
Easy Bistro, 801 Chestnut St.
Little Coyote, 3950 Tennessee Ave.
* History: In May of 2005, Erik and Amanda Niel opened Easy Bistro & Bar in downtown Chattanooga. Then in 2014, they assumed operations of Main Street Meats when they took over what was then a local butcher shop. As longtime residents of the Southside, they were intrigued by the idea of ramping up an already popular business by utilizing the fresh cuts of meats in their restaurant fare. Little Coyote will open this summer/fall serving a variety of smoked meats and specialty tortillas.
* Mission: The Niel's say: "Our mission is to provide great hospitality with quality food and drink to Chattanooga. Quality without compromise!"
* What's Next: Little Coyote will open in the former Mojo Burrito space in St. Elmo sometime in the summeror or fall. The 2,800-square-foot space will be renovated and will be equipped with a wood-fired pit in the back and a new tortilla-making machine ordered from Mexico. It will seat 130 people in the dining area and will include an enlarged patio. Niel said in addition to the sit-down dining, the restaurant will "focus on to-go items." Voted one of the Best Chefs of America by his peers in 2013, Chef Erik Niel said the idea is for patrons to order a variety of the meats and specialty side dishes and then share them around the table.
* Online:
Main Street Meats
Facebook @MainStMeats
Instagram @mainstreetmeats/
Easy Bistro
Facebook @easybistro
Instagram @easybistro
Little Coyote
Facebook @littlecoyotetn
Instagram @littlecoyotetn