Popular Hixson neighborhood bar and restaurant Mike’s Tavern is expanding with a second location in Ooltewah.
“We’ve had a lot of people ask us to come out here,” Kane Weathers, operations manager of JPM Restaurants, said in an interview.
In addition to Mike’s Tavern, JPM Restaurants also owns North Chattanooga sports bar Mike’s Hole in the Wall and downtown restaurant Riverport Grille. The last location of the group’s barbecue concept, Mike’s Smokehouse, closed in 2024.
Weathers said the space and menu of the Ooltewah location of Mike’s Tavern will be similar to the Hixson site, which opened off Highway 153 about seven years ago.
(READ MORE: Dining review: Menu at Mike’s Tavern elevates the typical pub fare in Hixson)
“We know what people want, and we know what’s good,” he said. “When you have a good thing, you stick with it.”
The 4,300-square-foot space will seat 180 and feature a patio accessed via a retractable garage-style door, and the menu focuses on tavern fare made with fresh, quality ingredients, Weathers said.
Among the restaurant’s most popular items are the fish and chips served with housemade remoulade, the brisket nachos, the salmon and the Tavern Burger.
“That’s our No. 1 seller, so we always recommend the burger,” Weathers said, adding that people also rave about the onion rings. “They say they’re the best in the city, so we go with it.”
Entrée prices range from $13.50 for the burger to a $34 rib-eye.
The Hixson location’s popular Saturday and Sunday brunch also will be carried over to the Ooltewah restaurant, he said.
The restaurant group did not expect the original Mike’s Tavern to reach its current volume of sales and customers when it opened back in 2019, Weathers said. He credits its success to its consistency, both in customer service and food quality, including fresh, never-frozen meats and sauces made in-house.
“I think that’s what really sets us apart from other places, especially corporate chains,” Weathers said.
With the explosive growth of the Ooltewah area in recent years, the restaurant group’s leadership decided it was an ideal location to bring its family-friendly neighborhood tavern concept, he said.
Other Chattanooga restaurants have had success bringing their concepts to Ooltewah, where Riverview Italian restaurant Il Primo opened a second location in 2017. Southern coastal restaurant 1885 Grill opened an Ooltewah outpost in 2019 following the success of the original St. Elmo location, now closed.
Weathers said Mike’s Tavern could expand into other neighborhoods — customers have requested locations in areas such as Cleveland and Soddy-Daisy – depending on the success of the other stores, Weathers said.
The Ooltewah restaurant is expected to open in October at 5024 Hunter Road.
Contact business reporter Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6508.