Decades ago, before trendy bars and smoke shops dotted M.L. King Boulevard, the thoroughfare, then known as Ninth Street, was a hot spot for music in Chattanooga.
Opened in spring 1979, the Whole Note restaurant and lounge was the talk of the town at the time. More than 200 Chattanoogans showed up for the ribbon-cutting, according to newspaper archives.
The business, completed in partnership with the East Ninth Street Community Development Corp., the city of Chattanooga and others, marked a “commitment to revitalize East Ninth Street” to “attract more people to patronize the businesses in this commercial district,” proprietor Charles Bryant said at the time.
At the time, the Whole Note represented a “new climate” in the Ninth Street business district, then-Mayor Pat Rose said at its opening, according to newspaper archives. The business served as a shot in the arm for a vision of revitalization in the area, which was no stranger to crime.
Inside, the Whole Note boasted a plush and spacious dining room with enough seating for over 300 people, a full-service bar on each of the building’s two floors and a large screen television, The Chattanooga Times reported. Live performances provided consistent entertainment, with Chattanooga-born jazz musician Butch Cornell first up on the stage after the venue opened.