I was flattered to receive an e-mail recently from Linda S. who said she keeps up with East Ridge happenings by reading East Ridge News Online.
However, Linda was curious about one business abruptly closing in East Ridge and what’s in store for our city with other businesses relocating here.
I figured if Linda had these questions perhaps other ERNO readers may as well.
So, I’m going to take a shot at satisfying Linda’s curiosity. At the top of her list was whatever happened to All American Grill?
Having never patronized All American Grill, I didn’t notice that it had decamped from its location on Ringgold Road near Germantown. Honestly, I have no idea why the business shuttered. My bride had a possible answer, though She said the All American Grill is closed for remodeling. I can’t guarantee that answer is correct, but it makes sense to me.
Linda also wanted to know how she could receive a list of the new businesses coming to East Ridge?
Linda, I don’t think a list exists. The vast majority of business deals coming to the city are done between private property owners and business entities. City Hall seldom enters into the equation. However, over the last five years, the City has entered into a contract with a business recruiting firm called Retail Strategies. This organization flies the flag for East Ridge and its other municipal clients at trade shows and in the virtual world.
During the past year, if I’m not sadly mistaken, city officials have publicly said that Retail Strategies was responsible for bringing a handful of new businesses to our fair city. For the life of me, I can’t remember specifically what those businesses are. Perhaps, they are the one’s which have recently opened in Jordan Crossing.
And, speaking of Jordan Crossing, the development is really starting to boom, isn’t it? Chick-fil-A is world class. Starbucks is world class. Buddy’s bar-b-q is world class. Those businesses are all in close proximity to our own Bass Pro Shops, which kicked off what former Mayor Brent Lambert referred to as “The Renaissance” of our city.
The Lost Cajun is coming to Jordan Crossing. East Ridge firefighter Thomas Finch and his wife Melissa have purchased a franchise for the wildly popular Cajun cuisine restaurant. Nobody else around here offers this kind of fare and I’m sure the Finch family will succeed by offering something new at the table.
A huge player is headed to Jordan Crossing in the near future … Topgolf. There are more than four dozen of these sports/entertainment venues in the U.S. and several foreign countries. Inside East Ridge City Hall is a building permit for a 4.8 million Topgolf project, though world headquarters in Dallas has yet to officially announce it.
The Topgolf in East Ridge – not Chattanooga as some other media outlets are reporting – is gonna be a brand new concept. Unlike the multi-story driving range facilities in other markets, the one in East Ridge will be single story and scaled back just a bit.
Bigger is not always better. Trust me, it’s gonna be deluxe.
Just across Interstate 75 on Ringgold Road Champy’s is building what its owners call “the Taj Mahal” of Champy’s. It will be located next door to Wally’s, an East Ridge icon. The design for this store calls for not one but two outside dining areas.
Linda asked specifically about the sale of the property where the old Ryan’s restaurant was located in the 5300 block of Ringgold Road. She wanted to know what’s going in there.
No official announcement has been made, but Southern Honda Powersports, the largest Honda off-road dealer by volume on the planet, is looking at making that its new home. Southern Honda had originally optioned property on Ringgold Road near Scruggs Road, on the far Eastern end of East Ridge. Word on the street is that particular property was once used as an impromptu dump and just wasn’t suitable.
The new location for Southern Honda may spur new development in the central part of East Ridge. The only negative is that the dealership is swallowing up Local Coffee, Danny and Debbie Lance’s wonderful coffee shop. The Lances tell ERNO they aren’t leaving the city. In fact, they are eyeing another location more on the western part of Ringgold Road in what once was THE thriving part of our city.
Kudos to the Lances, I say.
And, the West end of Ringgold Road is starting to see some action. Two mixed-use developments have been blessed by the planning commission for rezoning. Both developments will be dominated by housing, but there is a retail/commercial element in both of them.
One of the locations is across Ringgold Road from East Ridge Commons, you know, the place where Skeeter Skates was when I was growing up. The second location is at nearby Blackhawk Trail.
I hope this answers at least in part some of your questions, Linda. Thanks for reading.
