Clumpies Ice Cream to Close St. Elmo Location as Incline Railway Contract Ends
Photo Courtesy of Clumpies
Food News!
Clumpies Ice Cream Co. is set to close its St. Elmo location at the base of the Incline Railway on February 28th. The closure comes as Rock City Enterprises, the Chattanooga-based parent company of Clumpies, concludes its contract to operate ticketing and concessions at the historic Incline Railway, which is owned by the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA).
The St. Elmo shop, opened in 2015 as the second Clumpies location after the original North Shore shop, will cease operations at the end of February. The company will, however, continue to operate its other two locations on Frazier Avenue and Market Street, serving its signature handcrafted, micro-batch ice cream.
The closure of the St. Elmo shop is tied to the end of the agreement with CARTA. CARTA is currently in the process of seeking a new contractor to manage the historic 130-year-old attraction, which climbs Lookout Mountain.
Rock City Enterprises also owns Rock City Gardens on Lookout Mountain, a popular tourist destination. The company’s headquarters are located nearby on Tennessee Avenue, not far from the Incline Railway.
In addition to the closure, Rock City announced earlier this month plans to construct a gondola lift system connecting the Chattanooga Valley in Flintstone to Rock City. The proposed gondola would run alongside the same side of the mountain as the Incline Railway and is expected to enhance the visitor experience. Both CARTA and Rock City have indicated that the new ride could complement the existing attraction.
If approved by local authorities in Walker County and the town of Lookout Mountain, Georgia, construction on the gondola system could begin as early as January 2027, with a projected timeline of two years to complete the project.
