Mountain City Club building at 729 Chestnut St.

The upscale St. John’s Restaurant and Meeting Place will move to the Mountain City Club after the renowned restaurant was sold to brothers Byron and Ken DeFoor.

St. John’s staff were informed of the move on Sunday evening.

Construction on St. John’s on the site at the corner of Chestnut and Eighth Streets is said to be nearly complete.

The opening at the West Village location is planned for the end of September.

In April, the DeFoors paid $9 million for the Mountain City Club site, which was initially speculated to be used as a hotel. The venerable 1889 club moved to leased space across Eighth Street in the restored Gilman Building.

St. John’s was founded in 2000 by Chattanooga native Nathan Lindley. He later opened Il Primo restaurants in Riverview and Ooltewah, as well as Public House at the south end of Warehouse Row.

St. John’s was founded in an old hotel building at the triangular corner of South Market and King Street, which was restored by Thomas Johnson after it had been expropriated while under city ownership.

Mr. Lindley later sold St. John’s to his brother, Daniel Lindley. It was later transferred to Josh Carter, a long-time manager of St. John’s and classmate of Daniel Lindley.

Mr. Carter expanded with the opening of nearby Kenny’s.

St. John’s specializes in “inventive regional American cuisine”

St. John’s Restaurant in the former Ellis Hotel