The Opening

Ford's Garage, the Ford Motor Company-licensed burger-and-craft-beer concept, opened its first Tennessee restaurant on October 13 in Chattanooga, adding a 36th unit to a footprint that now spans nine states. The 8,000-square-foot restaurant at 2102 Hamilton Place Blvd. seats approximately 250 guests and occupies a high-traffic retail corridor near I-75 and I-24, adjacent to Hamilton Place Mall.

Franchise Operator

The location is owned and operated by TN Legends, a partnership of Tennessee natives that includes Ted Moats, managing partner and a co-founder of Logan's Roadhouse; James Blaylock, a longtime business partner; hospitality veteran Scott Estes; and Swade Elliott, an 11-year Ford's Garage operator. The group collectively claims more than a century of combined restaurant and hospitality experience. "We were drawn to Ford's Garage because it brings the heritage of one of the world's most iconic brands together with great food, friendly service and an atmosphere that's unlike anything else," said Moats, who is also a U.S. Navy veteran and Vanderbilt University graduate.

The Chattanooga unit's menu centers on half-pound Certified Angus Beef burgers — including the Estate Burger, dressed with smoked Gouda, sweet red onion marmalade, arugula, fried onion straws and white truffle bacon aioli on a brioche bun — alongside premium entrees such as Simply Grilled Salmon and Chicken Henry with a Chardonnay lemon butter sauce. Shareable appetizers and an extensive selection of local craft beers and cocktails round out the offering, consistent with the brand's positioning in the better-burger and full-service casual-dining segment.

Expansion Trajectory

Founded in 2012 in Fort Myers, Fla. — minutes from Henry Ford's winter estate — the concept has built its identity around vintage 1920s service-station décor and Ford Motor memorabilia. That experiential positioning has helped it differentiate in an increasingly crowded casual-dining and franchise-expansion landscape where operators are competing on atmosphere as much as menu. The Chattanooga opening signals continued momentum in the South, with the brand targeting further growth across the South, Midwest and Northeast. No specific unit-count targets were disclosed in conjunction with the opening.

The restaurant operates Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., offering both dine-in and pickup service.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.