A restaurant known for its hand-battered fried chicken may open its first location in Chattanooga on a Market Street property that holds a pair of condemned buildings.
Started in Mason, Tennessee, with roots dating back more than 60 years, Gus’s Fried Chicken now boasts about 40 locations in 14 states, including spots in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville.
(READ MORE: Company proposes 12-story building near downtown Chattanooga’s riverfront)
It has received acclaim from the Travel Channel and GQ, which in January 2001 named Gus’s Fried Chicken one of the top 10 meals worth flying for in the United States.
“It’s a secret family recipe,” franchisee Philip Sampietro, who runs two restaurants in Knoxville and one in Birmingham, said in a phone call.
Mike Price of MAP Engineers said crews would knock down the existing buildings at 1846 Market St. and reconfigure the parking lot, placing a one-way entrance on Market Street and an exit onto East 19th Street.
The 3,000-square-foot building would have outdoor seating and about 16 parking spots, according to a site plan.
Price said developers have held several meetings with the surrounding neighborhood. They have worked to accommodate the wishes of neighbors, he said, and the requirements of Chattanooga’s downtown zoning board, which aims to promote walkable, mixed-use urban development.
“We think we struck a good balance,” Price said in a phone call.
The project has been moving through the approval process for almost a year, he said. On Dec. 17, the Chattanooga City Council is set to take up a request by the developers to exceed the maximum setback requirements for the property from Market Street.
The two buildings on the property are plastered with graffiti and have condemnation notices posted outside identifying them as unsafe for human habitation. Price said the new restaurant would be commensurate with other nearby projects that have occurred in that area.
“Redevelopment is working south, and this is one of the next logical points as far as where that’s to occur,” Price said. “I think this will help to continue to spur that growth and bring some revitalization to the area.”
The site sits across from Honey Seed, an eatery offering woodfired, thin-crust pizzas and hand-rolled Montreal bagels, and down the road from new townhomes at Southside Square.
Sampietro said it would likely take about a year to fully construct the new restaurant. The franchise may open a couple locations in Chattanooga.
“We’re not going to be on every corner,” he said. “We still kind of want to be a destination.”
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.