New in Chattanooga this fall: a Thursday market in the Foundries District and the city's Small Business Resource Center on E. MLK Blvd. How to open your own.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Rebuilt each month. Entries come from the businesses’ and organizers’ own announcements and from the City of Chattanooga, linked to each entry. A listing here is news, not an endorsement, and no business paid to be included.

This is our first monthly roundup of openings in Chattanooga. The newest addition we can confirm from the organizer is a weekly Thursday evening market in the Foundries District, and the city’s Small Business Resource Center on East Martin Luther King Boulevard is now the first stop for anyone starting a business. Opening something? Tell us through our contact page, or call the city’s Treasury Office at 423-643-7262 about your business license.

Business help and records

  • City business license and business tax: Treasury Office, 423-643-7262, busl@chattanooga.gov, business license page
  • Free help for entrepreneurs: Small Business Resource Center, 332 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays
  • Register a new company: Tennessee Secretary of State, business services portal
  • Permits and zoning for a storefront: see our permits and zoning guide
  • Food business permit: Hamilton County Health Department, Environmental Health, 423-209-8110
  • Tell us about an opening: contact page

New this season

  • Chattanooga Market at the Foundries District. The nonprofit that runs the Sunday Chattanooga Market added a weekly market this year: Thursdays, 4 to 8 p.m., at the Creature Comforts beer garden inside The Shed, next to the Chattanooga Lookouts’ new ballpark. Local artisans, makers and food vendors; free to attend. Next dates: Oct. 22 and Oct. 29. Market page.
  • City of Chattanooga Small Business Resource Center. Opened March 20, 2026, at 332 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., funded with $1.8 million in federal American Rescue Plan money approved by City Council. It brings the city’s entrepreneur support organizations under one roof for training, advice and help finding capital, at no cost. City announcement.

We list openings once the business or the organizer has announced them. Next month’s roundup will add Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce ribbon cuttings and openings readers send us.

Opening a business in Chattanooga: the checklist

  1. Register the company with the Tennessee Secretary of State if you are forming an LLC or a corporation.
  2. Check the zoning for your location before you sign a lease. A city business license “only permits operation if properly zoned,” the city says. Zoning questions: 423-643-5891.
  3. Get a city business license if you operate inside city limits. The city collects a business tax under state law (Tennessee Code 67-4-7). Questions: 423-643-7262.
  4. Pull building and sign permits for any renovation or new sign through the city’s OpenGov portal.
  5. Food businesses need a Hamilton County Health Department food service permit before they open and are inspected at least twice a year after that; see our restaurant inspections guide.

The city’s getting started page lists free help from local entrepreneur support groups, classes at the Chamber’s INCubator and SCORE, and business courses at Chattanooga State Community College and UTC.

What this means for you

  • Shoppers: the Foundries District market is a new Thursday evening option.
  • Starting out: book time at the Small Business Resource Center before you sign a lease.

Related guides: building permits and zoning, farmers markets and restaurant inspections.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a business license in Chattanooga?

Businesses inside city limits apply for a City of Chattanooga business license through the city’s Treasury Office, 423-643-7262 or busl@chattanooga.gov. A license only lets you operate where the zoning allows it.

Where can I get free help starting a business in Chattanooga?

The city’s Small Business Resource Center at 332 E. Martin Luther King Blvd. opened in March 2026 and is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, with training from local entrepreneur support groups at no cost.

How do I get my new Chattanooga business listed here?

Send us the business name, address, opening date and a link through our contact page. A listing here is free.