Clumpies Ice Cream Closes St. Elmo Location This Saturday

Northshore and Southside Chattanooga shops to remain open as Rock City shifts focus to gondola project

Feb. 27, 2026 at 6:20am

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Clumpies Ice Cream is permanently closing its St. Elmo location this Saturday, though the Northshore and Southside Chattanooga shops will stay open. The shutdown follows Rock City ending its long partnership with CARTA at the Incline Railway as the company shifts focus to a proposed gondola project and a new operator prepares to take over incline ticketing and concessions.

Why it matters

The closure of the St. Elmo Clumpies location is a sign of the changing landscape in Chattanooga, as longtime businesses and partnerships give way to new development projects. This shift reflects the broader challenges facing small, independent businesses in the face of larger-scale changes in the city.

The details

Clumpies Ice Cream is permanently closing its St. Elmo location this Saturday, February 29th. However, the Northshore and Southside Chattanooga shops will remain open. The shutdown follows Rock City's decision to end its long-standing partnership with CARTA at the Incline Railway, as the company shifts its focus to a proposed gondola project. A new operator is also preparing to take over incline ticketing and concessions.

Clumpies Ice Cream is closing its St. Elmo location this Saturday, February 29, 2026.
Rock City ended its partnership with CARTA at the Incline Railway, shifting focus to a proposed gondola project.

The players