Brown Bag brings blessings and healthy lunch to Chattanooga area

Brown Bag offers healthy lunches such as grilled chicken sandwiches and chopped salad. / Contributed photo by Brown Bag
Brown Bag offers healthy lunches such as grilled chicken sandwiches and chopped salad. / Contributed photo by Brown Bag
photo One of Brown Bag's most popular options is the baby spinach salad, shown here with sliced grilled chicken and asparagus. / Contributed photo by Brown Bag

Brown Bag recently opened a new location on Gunbarrel Road in Chattanooga, where the Knoxville-based company offers inexpensive, fresh catering options as well as an in-store lunch menu.

When Peter Brown started Brown Bag as a catering business a decade ago out of his home kitchen, he recognized the absence of a healthy and affordable catering option in Knoxville and sought to fill that gap. He soon had enough business to move into a commercial space, where he decided to open for lunch on weekdays and serve the same foods offered for catering.

"It's freshly made, quality food, something you'd basically make at home for yourself," said Brown, adding that other catering options are often limited to barbecue, Mexican food, or heavy and greasy dishes that make people feel sluggish for the rest of the day. "The initial goal was to make healthy food people actually wanted to consume. It's definitely designed to be an energy-filled lunch."

Popular catering items include the baby spinach salad, topped with fresh blackberries, mandarin oranges, Parmesan cheese and Craisins. It's served with Brown Bag's signature poppy-seed dressing made using Brown's mother's recipe, along with a sliced grilled chicken breast or sauteed vegetables.

photo Brown Bag's Chattanooga location is now open on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd. / Contributed photo by Brown Bag

The steak sandwich - served only at the restaurant since hot sandwiches don't travel well - is the most popular dish served in-house. It features sliced, marinated flank steak piled on a ciabatta bun with provolone, caramelized onions, and house-made steak sauce and horseradish.

In 2013 former pro golfer Matt Mincer joined Brown Bag as a co-owner, and the business has grown steadily since. They've opened another Knoxville store and two in Nashville, along with locations in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Frisco, Texas.

About four years ago the company introduced Brown Bag Blessings, a unique offering in which people can call the restaurant a day in advance and pick up a free meal for six to take to someone in need - whether they're in the hospital, a new mom, grieving over a death in the family or simply going through a hard time, said Brown.

He said the idea came to him when he was out of work for a few months due to a badly broken leg. Brown was so appreciative of the food people brought for him and his family during that time that he wanted to encourage others to do the same for their loved ones in difficult situations.

photo Brown Bag's Chattanooga location is now open on Gunbarrel Road in East Brainerd. / Contributed photo by Brown Bag

"We're so blessed to be as successful as we've been, and we thought this would be a fun way to give back and involve the community," he said.

At the more established stores in Knoxville, he said they typically get two or three Brown Bag Blessing orders every day.

"It's one of the most enjoyable parts of the day," said Brown, adding that no one seems to be taking advantage of the offer. "It's well worth it and comes back to us tenfold."

Brown Bag is at 1924 Gunbarrel Road, Suite 110, and can be reached at 423-413-3383. The restaurant serves lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information visit brownbagnow.com.

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