Jonathan's Grille joins East Ridge restaurant scene

Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jonathan's Grille is the latest business to join the Jordan Crossing development in East Ridge near I-75's Exit One.
Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jonathan's Grille is the latest business to join the Jordan Crossing development in East Ridge near I-75's Exit One.

Curt Revelette says his family's restaurant business, Jonathan's Grille, has survived the dot-com bubble and the Great Recession, and now it's learning to navigate through the coronavirus.

"This one, hopefully, will run its course," he said. "We'll see what the new world looks like after this."

Revelette and his brother, Mason, plan to open their newest restaurant Sept. 22 in East Ridge on Camp Jordan Parkway. As part of the Jordan Crossing development, Jonathan's Grille joins Top Golf, Bass Pro Shops, Hampton Inn, and other ventures at the site just off Interstate-75's Exit One.

The co-owner of the upscale sports grill, which will seat about 350 patrons and offer viewing on 50 TV sets, likes the idea of drawing athletic teams competing at nearby Camp Jordan and their families.

On weekends, he said, the grill's staff will put up sports team helmets at nearby televisions so customers who have favorites won't start flipping channels and irk other people.

The eatery, which will serve pizza, wings, chicken and a variety of other items, will keep its 21-and-over bar area and its dining rooms separate.

Chelsi Gerstenfeld, the regional manager, said the setup creates an environment that helps keep families apart from the bar patrons.

"You see a lot of restaurants where there's just one large room," she said.

The $4 million investment in East Ridge is Revelette's first foray outside the Nashville-Murfreesboro area, where he and his brother operate more than a half dozen eateries.

photo Staff photo by C.B. Schmelter / Jonathan's Grille co-owner Curt Revelette, right, and regional manager Chelsi Gerstenfeld say the new East Ridge restaurant will seat 350 patrons.

Last summer, they also bought the former 212 Market restaurant site for $1.35 million in downtown Chattanooga, where they'll look at putting a new restaurant in about 12 to 18 months, he said.

"We're here to be long-term friends in the community," the restaurateur said, adding he's excited about placing another "well-run, family-owned restaurant downtown." The Market Street restaurant was a pioneer in downtown's riverfront area and operated for 25 years when it closed in 2017.

Before taking up a second Chattanooga eatery, Revelette said that plans are to open a restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama. Like Chattanooga, he's looking to put two in Huntsville.

The East Ridge restaurant is to employ about 65 workers and is taking applications now, said the 39-year-old businessman. The eatery will open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to midnight daily except for Friday and Saturday when it will close at 2 a.m., he said.

"Most corporate restaurants close at 10 p.m.," Revelette said, hopefully giving it an advantage in the market.

He said his family started in the restaurant business in 1999. Ten years ago, he and his brother became involved and "saw something special in the brand," Revelette said.

"We picked up the reins," he said. "Right city. Right time."

The restaurant sits in the Border Region Retail Development District, a state sales tax incentive that has helped East Ridge grow over the past several years. The incentive allows the city to recapture the growth in sales tax collections within the zone and then plow those funds back into repaying investments in the area.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.

Upcoming Events