This curious fellow has learned The Tullahoma Sports Council is considering hosting a Banquet fundraiser and inviting a retired Major League Baseball player as the keynote speaker. Who would you prefer to hear, see and have a photograph with: Johnny Bench, Ryan Sandberg or Cal Ripkin? Vote and email me at acuriousfellow@lighttube.net and I’ll share the results with the Council. Please remember, I said considering.

Not familiar with the Council? Formed five years ago, the Council works behind the scenes to make good things happen to support sports and athletes in Tullahoma. The members work to position Tullahoma as a sports destination by supporting tournaments, increase fitness in youth and adults, recognize outstanding achievement in past and present Tullahoma athletes and improve sports facilities.

Don’t forget to vote!    

A Taste (or two) of the Gulf 

One of the most anticipated new Tullahoma restaurant openings in recent memory opens their doors June 2. After a twenty-two month delay due to supply chain issues, The Seafood Place is moving from their East Lincoln location of six years to a brand spanking new market and restaurant in downtown Tullahoma.

Owners Paul and Kimberly Householder moved to Tullahoma from the Baltimore area seven years ago to be close to family. What started on a whim, and with no restaurant experience, they decided to sell seafood from Orange Beach and Mobile Alabama from a refrigerated trailer on North Jackson Street and has now grown to a full service restaurant and market.

In between the two ventures, they moved to a tiny 480 square foot seafood market on East Lincoln Street. In a span of 5 weeks in 2017, they refurbished their building, secured permits, negotiated with seafood suppliers, bought a refrigerated truck, designed the advertising and opened their doors.

So, how did all that fresh Gulf seafood make its way to Tullahoma each week this curious fellow wanted to know. The owners would drive to Mobile and Orange Beach on Wednesday morning in their refrigerated trailer, purchase the seafood from five suppliers and then drive back to Tullahoma in time to open their doors Thursday afternoon. They did this weekly for one and one half years. Because of their volume, suppliers now come to them. In 2019 they upgraded their license which allowed them to serve hot food.

This curious fellow got a sneak peak of their new market and restaurant at 105 NW Atlantic Street sandwiched between the American Legion Post and the Veranda Hotel. The property features an industrial decor with refurbished plywood flooring, exposed HVAC piping and tall ceilings. The walls are decorated with vintage Tullahoma photographs.

The market will seat 60 inside and 16 on an adjacent outdoor patio. A large menu board greets you as you enter the restaurant. Just the new kitchen is 100 square feet larger than their entire current East Lincoln Street building. An excellent staff has been assembled and raring to go.

The owners describe their venture as fancy food but not fancy atmosphere.

Although their East Lincoln Street location will close, they are keeping their favorite (and very popular) recipes on the new larger menu downtown like Not the Gumbo, Kimberly’s Crab Cake Sandwiches, TSP Crab Trap and Dad Bod Dog.

The market portion of the facility will feature fresh fish, beef, lamb, shrimp, crab legs and oysters.

From a refrigerated trailer parked on the side of the road to a brick and mortar restaurant and market, the Householders are ready to offer a taste of the gulf in your home and their restaurant. 

Time to build 

As recently as fifteen years ago, builders were building approximately 110 new single family homes a year in Tullahoma. In the past several years, less than fifty new single family homes were built annually in Tullahoma. From January 1 to May 18 of this year only nine new single family homes were started. If this trend continues, only 24 new homes will be built in town in 2023. These nine homes range in price from $204,323 to $488,735 with an average valuation of $283,408.

This curious fellow wants to know what’s going on? Turns out there are only six residential building lots available for purchase in Tullahoma. It’s hard to build if there’s no place to build.

Help is on the way. Two major subdivisions have been approved by the Tullahoma Planning Commission in the past year. These include The Pines off Country Club Drive with 83 lots and Lincoln Station off East Lincoln with 49 lots.

Stay tuned.

If you are curious about something in Tullahoma, send me an email at acuriousfellow@lighttube.net.