What's New This Year in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Find all the new spots to check out in Chattanooga! 

• New to Do
• New Food to Find
• New Places to Stay
• New Developments Popping Up
• Anniversaries and Milestones

NEW TO DO  

• New Experiences:  

  • The Back Nine is the ultimate golf simulator! With their state-of-the-art technology and detailed feedback, be prepared to enjoy and enhance your game, rain or shine.

  • The River to Clouds Route (RCR) is a new 34-mile trail system connecting Cloudland Canyon State Park to the Chattanooga Riverwalk in St. Elmo. The trail will be suitable for biking, trail running, and hiking.

  • The Chattanooga Zoo’s new Cape of Africa exhibit is officially open! Visit warthogs, Cape porcupines, servals, Aldabra tortoises, and more!

• Temporary Experiences: 

  • City as Canvas: Graffiti Art from the Martin Wong Collection at the Hunter Museum of American Art (September 20, 2024-January 13,2025) 

NEW FOOD TO FIND  

• New Restaurants, Breweries & Bars: 

  • Mean Jeen’s | Main Street – This new neighborhood cocktail spot is channeling all the 70s retro vibes, featuring a fun photomatica and a delicious full food menu with tacos, burritos, and tortas! 

  • Granny’s Bar | Downtown – Filled with eclectic vintage sports memorabilia and tons of photos of real Chattanoogan grannies, this is your new go-to “sports bar, kinda!” 

  • Brothers Bagel | Hixson – Check out the first bagel shop of its kind in Chattanooga, created by a Chattanooga local family.

  • 2nd American | Southside – Enjoy a menu tailored towards an homage of the classic American family meal, inspired by Sunday dinners from Chef Daniel Lindley’s childhood. 

  • Crispy Cones Ice Cream | Ooltewah – Enjoy pastry dough ice cream cones, grilled rotisserie-style and covered with cinnamon, sugar, or a specialty powder and filled with your choice of spread, gourmet ice cream, and toppings.

  • Malone’s Steakhouse | Hamilton Place – Prime cuts, a bourbon bar, sushi & bottomless-salad deals mark this informal steakhouse chain.

  • The Playlist | Downtown – Servers double as performers, delivering lively lip-sync performances to popular hits while you enjoy your meal.

  • Scoop Around Ice Cream Bar | Southside – Visit this specialty ice cream shop for unique and Instagram worthy treats! 

  • Blackstone Grille | Lookout Valley – Blackstone Grille is your go-to spot for top-notch steaks, chops, and a great selection of wine and cocktails, all served in a laid-back American tavern vibe.

  • Fond Dos Mil | Southside – Located across from Pizza Bros Southside, try this authentic and affordable Latin food.

  • Riverport Grille | Downtown – Swing by Riverport Grille, now serving up delicious brunch, lunch, and dinner at the former Big River Grille downtown location!

  • The Coinop | Southside – Find the arcade through the arched door at Boneyard and enjoy your favorite arcade games, a larger-than-life Tetris wall, and more.

  • 50/50 Wine Bar | Southside – Enjoy wines, martinis, and snacks on a cozy couch or patio overlooking Station Street.

  • Just Love Coffee Cafe | Downtown – From a humble roaster supporting adoption families, this cafe ensures great experiences and customer service that warms the heart.

  • HOME Bar | Downtown - From the vibrant design to the elevated Southern cuisine with a modern twist, step into a world where art and dining converge.

  • Chi Chi’s Charred Chicken | Downtown – A Mexican fusion with a southern Twang, this joint is serving up charred chicken and plenty of sides.

  • Little Venezuela | Downtown - Chattanooga's first Venezuelan restaurant offers another dimension of Latin flavors and features a variety of arepas, cheesy cachapas, sopa de res, and flaky pastelitos.

  • Broads Lounge | Downtown - An intentionally inclusive space that and a female-forward cocktail bar offering spirits that are women owned, led or distilled.

  • Big Chicken (2 locations) | Hixson & Downtown – Shaquille O' Neal is bringing a "wow" factor to the Chattanooga area with big food, big flavor, and big fun.

  • Taco Mamacita | Hamilton Place – A delicious street foodm Tex-Mex restauratn featuring a modern, eclectic menu where the taco is supreme and everything is made fresh, in house daily.

  • Ernest Chinese | Southside – Named after the co-owner’s pet cat, Ernest, this American Chinese restaurant is bringing a new twist to the city. The menu features favorites such as Egg Drop Soup, Gong Bao Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and more.

  • Bless Yer Heart | MLK/UTC – A retro styled hangout with tropical cocktails, beer, wine, and good company.

  • Little Coyote | St. Elmo – Infused with Southwestern influences, the menu offers smoked meats, fresh tortillas, homemade picos, and more, served family style, while the bar boasts 100+ cocktails, beer, and wine selections, with a focus on agave spirits.

  • Outpost Bar & Restaurant | Southside – The sister restaurant to Basecamp, this new spot will offer Appalachian-inspired dishes, including Pork Belly, Fish and Chips, Pan-Seared Trout, and Chicken Alfredo.

  • Elsie’s Daughter | Southside – Located in the Hotel Chalet at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, this parlor is designed with history in mind and serves up classic cocktails and French-Belgian cuisine with a nod to Appalachia.

  • Attack of the Tatsu | City Center – Inspired by years of studying Japanese food and culture, Chattanooga’s newest Izakaya and Ramen Shop offers a crafted menu utilizing many exceptional techniques and ingredients.

  • The Downtowner Bistro Breakfast & Bar | West Village – Hotel Bo’s on-site restaurant serves up homemade breakfast options, appetizers, specialty cocktails, and more.

  • Sleepyhead Main + Dodds | Southside – A new Sleepyhead location offering later hours, vegan pastries, and its newest concept of hand-crafted mocktails.

  • Sweet Lunispops | Northshore – New shop owned by Taconooga featuring Mexican paletas, candy, cold drinks, fresh fruits, house-made popsicles, and more.

  • Kai Bistro | Southside – A new approach to Asian foods, fusing together cooking techniques that combine traditional flavors with more contemporary ingredients.

  • Sabor Modern Latino & Sushi | Red Bank – A flavorful selection of Costa Rican and other Latin American-inspired food.

  • Civil Provisions and Bar | Signal Mountain - A seasonally informed and chef-driven community restaurant and cocktail bar.

  • I Heart Mac and Cheese | Hixson – A casual concept specializing in customizable, made-to-order macaroni and cheese bowls.

  • Big Bad Breakfast | Northshore – A New Orleans style breakfast and lunch spot with a menu with a few surprises and food full of inspiration and energy. 

• Coming Soon:  

  • Lost in Transit | Southside 

  • Bad Motive | Southside 

  • The Black Sheep | Downtown

  • Nightcap Cocktails & Sweets | Downtown 

  • City Cafe | Downtown 

  • Blue Moose | Hamilton Place 

  • Laney’s Restaurant | Red Bank 

  • CAVA | Hamilton Place 

  • Raising Cane’s | Hixson 

NEW PLACES TO STAY  

• New Accommodations:  

  • The Drury Hotel | Hamilton Place – Located off I-75, the Drury Plaza Hotel is near Hamilton Place Mall and only four miles from Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA). 

  • Home2 Suites by Hilton Chattanooga | East Ridge – Within minutes of the city’s top attractions, enjoy restaurants, shopping, and entertainment within walking distance of the hotel.

  • Cloudland at McLemore Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton | Lookout Mountain - A stay at Cloudland gives you a luxurious front-row seat to McLemore Resort and offers an elegant getaway in a mountaintop golf course setting, complete with extensive meeting and event space.

  • La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Chattanooga | Downtown – This brand-new property sits downtown within walking distance to action-packed areas, minutes from attractions, boasts city views, and offers refreshing amenities for the most comfortable stay.

  • Hotel Chalet at the Choo Choo | Southside – This newly renovated hotel allows visitors to experience a night inside restored train carriages and blends historic and modern elements to offer an inviting and captivating atmosphere. 

• Upcoming Accommodations Opening:  

  • Embassy Suites | Downtown 

  • The Waymark, Tapestry Collection by Hilton | Downtown 

  • Tapestry Collection by Hilton | Downtown 

  • Holiday Inn Express Candlewood Suites | Hamilton Place  

  • Caption by Hyatt | Southside  

NEW DEVELOPMENTS POPPING UP  

• New Developments: 

  • Chattanooga Airport is under construction to add new gates, enlarge the security checkpoint, and bolster new amenities for travelers to be complete in 2024.

    • New CHA direct flights: New York City, NY

    • New CHA direct flights: Las Vegas, NV

    • Increased daily number of CHA direct flights: Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

  • Walden’s Ridge Park | Signal Mountain – A new 200-acre park on the side of the mountain. It features more than 10 miles of trails for activities such as mountain biking, hiking, trail running and bouldering.

• Upcoming Developments: 

  • The Bend, Chattanooga’s next great experience will transform an old industrial site to a vibrant community that blends commercial and residential space with entertainment and green spaces anchored by the bend in the Tennessee River. (Phase 1 Opens Spring 2024) 

  • River’s Edge at South Chick will be a 70-acre waterfront residential and commercial project just outside downtown Chattanooga with a new marina slated to hold 71 boat slips. (Opens 2024)

  • Booker T. Washington Park now has a quarter-mile accessible trail ending at a viewing platform overlooking Chickamauga Lake. The park’s bathhouse will undergo a transformation to evolve into an event space accommodating up to 200 people. (Opens 2024) 

  • Riverview Park Playground | North Chattanooga – This redeveloped area will be a recreational space for children of different abilities, ages, and communities. The design will incorporate nature and sensory music, feature observation areas, and will accommodate mobility devices. (Opens Summer 2024)

  • Tivoli Theatre is under a major renovation and expansion to turn the theatre into a performing arts center. The Tivoli Performing Arts Center, under construction next door to the theatre, was acquired and will add space for more bathrooms, ADA access, and space for educational opportunities. (Opens Spring 2025) 

  • South Broad Street District is set for a new live-work-play area with a new multi-use stadium to house the Chattanooga Lookouts, with supporting shops and restaurants, residential buildings, office space, and public recreation areas. (Opens 2025)   

  • Montague Park, located in the heart of the city, will embody a sound mind in a sound body and serve as a beautiful setting for recreation, play, quiet reflection, exercise, and more. 

  • One Westside will revitalize one of Chattanooga’s most historic neighborhoods, the Westside. The plan prioritizes updating and replacing current housing while introducing retail, services, and economic development to connect residents to amenities near their homes.  

2024 ANNIVERSARIES & MILESTONES  

• Significant Anniversaries:  

  • Ruby Falls - 95th Anniversary

    • Throughout 2024, Ruby Falls will celebrate its 95th anniversary with special events, activities, art installations, and more! 

  • Barking Legs Theater – 30th Anniversary  

  • Crabtree Farms – 25th Anniversary  

  • Clumpies Ice Cream Co. - 25th Anniversary  

    • Clumpies Ice Cream Co. turns 25 in 2024 and will be celebrating all year long with activations, events, and so many scoops of ice cream!  

  • Chattanooga Whiskey - 10th Anniversary  

  • Cashew – 10th Anniversary  

  • Old Gilman Grill – 5th Anniversary