Two and a half years after a fire destroyed the former Family Table restaurant in East Ridge, the Ringgold Road eatery is expected to reopen in the next month as a family-oriented, meat-and-three-restaurant.
Melody Clark, a former hairdresser and veteran restaurateur who now works as a server at Armando's restaurant in Chattanooga, said she hopes to open the new eatery by the end of January or early February after renovations are complete for the 75-seat restaurant.
The 3,208-square-foot restaurant was erected in 1968, but an August 2016 fire in the attic forced the closing of the Family Table, a mom and pop Italian restaurant.
The leased building is being renovated with a rustic farmhouse decor, including wire spools for tables and a tin ceiling, along with some modern features, Clark said.
"I think everybody will really like the way it looks when we open," she said Monday as work continues on interior renovations for the new restaurant. "We hope to truly be unique."
Melodee's will feature signature hamburgers and a variety of home-cooked southern foods, sandwiches and wings. The eatery plans on serving beer, but Clark said Melodee's will be a restaurant, not a bar.
A typical meat and three sides will likely be priced at about $8 for an entree, although Clark said she is still finalizing the menu and its prices.
She and her husband previously operated another southern home cooking restaurant, McMel's restaurant at 5700 Ringgold Road, for six years before closing the eatery nearly a decade ago.
Clark said the Melodee's will be open for lunch and dinner Tuesday though Friday and on Saturday the restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Melodee's will be closed on Sunday and Monday.
"My whole heart and soul is in the restaurant business and I absolutely love the customers and love being here in East Ridge," she said.
Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340.