The ahi tuna salad at Newk's Eatery is made with seared sushi-grade ahi tuna, mixed greens, carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, radishes and wonton strips.Fast-casual restaurant chain Newk's Eatery is opening its first Chattanooga location in East Brainerd soon and is celebrating with a cake-cutting ceremony of its signature Dozen-Layer Cake at 10 a.m. that day.
The restaurant is also offering Chattanooga customers the chance to sample from its menu of salads, pizzas and toasted sandwiches during four days of previews prior to opening.
"We believe our menu and values align with the type of dining experiences the residents of Chattanooga want," said Kaneshia Sims Hudson, marketing manager with Williams Food Group, which will manage the Chattanooga restaurant along with those in Smyrna and Kennesaw, Georgia. "Our staff is friendly, our ingredients are fresh, hand-cut daily, and our new facility is beautiful."
She said Newk's offers high-quality ingredients - such as sushi-grade ahi tuna, petite tenderloin steak, Atlantic salmon and all-white meat chicken breast - along with fast service and a variety of grab-and-go options.
The menu at Newk's Eatery features pizza, salads, soups and toasted sandwiches.Diners may be familiar with Newk's CEO and founder Chris "Newk" Newcomb's first eatery, McCalister's Deli, which he founded with his father in 1989 before selling the company and opening Newk's in 2004.
The latter restaurant's most popular dishes include the "Newk's Q" sandwich, composed of sliced flame-grilled chicken, bacon, Ammerländer Swiss cheese and the restaurant's signature white barbecue sauce served on French bread; and "Newk's Favorite" salad, made with sliced flame-grilled chicken breast, Arcadian mixed greens, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, sliced grapes, artichoke hearts, pecans, dried cranberries, croutons and sherry vinaigrette. Mac and cheese and pizzas are favorites on the kids menu, Sims Hudson said.
While Newk's is a counter-service restaurant, she said its dining room attendants give it a "table service environment." Unique features of Newk's dining room are an iced-tea bar and the "Roundtable," offering free premium garnishes such as pepperoncini, breadsticks, oils, cheeses and house-made croutons.
The 4,550-square-foot restaurant features an open kitchen, and seats 143 inside and 44 on its patio.
Newk's Chattanooga location, at 2380 Lifestyle Way, is the 14th restaurant in Tennessee and is among more than 120 locations throughout the Southeast.
For more information about the restaurant or the upcoming preview, visit facebook.com/newkschattanooga.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.