Clumpies Ice Cream to Close St. Elmo Location as Rock City Ends Incline Contract

The popular ice cream shop will shutter its base-of-the-Incline outpost as parent company Rock City Enterprises ends its agreement with CARTA.

Published on Jan. 31, 2026

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Clumpies Ice Cream Co. will close its location in the St. Elmo neighborhood of Chattanooga on February 28, as Rock City Enterprises, the parent company of Clumpies, is ending its contract to run ticketing and concessions at the Chattanooga Incline Railway at the same time.

Why it matters

The closure of the Clumpies St. Elmo shop marks the end of an era for the popular ice cream brand's presence at the base of the historic Incline Railway, a major tourist attraction in Chattanooga. It also signals a shift in the management and operations of the Incline as CARTA seeks a new contractor to oversee the 130-year-old railway.

The details

Clumpies opened the St. Elmo location in 2015 as its second shop after the original North Shore location. The company will continue to operate its other two scoop shops in North Shore and the Southside neighborhood. Rock City Enterprises, which owns the Clumpies brand as well as the nearby Rock City Gardens attraction, cited the expiration of its contract with CARTA as the reason for the St. Elmo closure.

  • Clumpies St. Elmo location will close on February 28, 2026.
  • Rock City Enterprises' contract to run ticketing and concessions at the Chattanooga Incline Railway is ending at the same time.

The players

Clumpies Ice Cream Co.

A popular ice cream shop with locations in Chattanooga's North Shore and Southside neighborhoods.

Rock City Enterprises

The Chattanooga-based parent company of Clumpies that also owns the nearby Rock City Gardens attraction.

Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA)

The agency that owns the 130-year-old Chattanooga Incline Railway and is seeking a new contractor to manage the attraction.

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What they’re saying

“Clumpies St. Elmo occupies a space that is part of the Incline operator contract. Our agreement with CARTA concludes at the end February, at which point the St. Elmo Clumpies location will close.”

— Pepper Raper, Spokesperson, Rock City Enterprises (timesfreepress.com)

“We are grateful for a decade of support from the community in St. Elmo, and will continue to serve our micro-batch handcrafted ice cream at our other two scoop shops in North Shore and Southside.”

— Pepper Raper, Spokesperson, Rock City Enterprises (timesfreepress.com)

What’s next

CARTA is searching for a new contractor to manage the Chattanooga Incline Railway after Rock City Enterprises' agreement ends.

The takeaway

The closure of the Clumpies St. Elmo location marks the end of an era for the popular ice cream brand's presence at the base of the historic Chattanooga Incline Railway, signaling a shift in the management and operations of this major tourist attraction as CARTA seeks a new contractor.