The owners of the Famous Dave’s restaurant on Gunbarrel Road have shuttered their business. The property owner terminated the restaurant’s lease in order to renovate the building and repurpose the location.
Famous Five Dining has offered employees positions in the company’s other restaurants and wedding catering clients will be serviced from another Tennessee Famous Dave’s.
“This is an emotional time for us,” says co-owner Doug Renegar. “It feels like we closed the family home.”
The Chattanooga Famous Dave’s restaurant has been the gathering spot for multiple community groups and families over the last 16 years.
The restaurant’s annual letter-writing campaign for soldiers and other service members serving overseas or recovering from injuries in military hospitals has garnered nationwide attention.
And during its tenure, the local barbecue restaurant has raised over $800,000 for Make-A-Wish through its annual Holiday Stars campaign and other fundraising events.
“We’re proud of what we’ve done while working side-by-side with some great people,” says Renegar. “We’ve done more than provide Chattanooga with great barbecue; we’ve helped change lives.”
Famous Five Dining is owned by two husband-and-wife teams who have been friends for more than 40 years. It operates four locations in Tennessee and Kentucky.
Their menu features barbequed and grilled meats, a large selection of salads, side items and sandwiches and home-baked desserts.
Famous Dave’s has won over 800 awards, including “Best Ribs in Nashville.”
Source: Famous Dave’s