Mark Hopkins, known in the community by his nickname Hoppy is the former owner of the once iconic Stone Lion Tavern, and Father Abraham’s Burgers and Hoppy’s Last Resort in St. Elmo (now Little Coyote).
These days Hoppy can still be found flipping burgers and making biscuits at Hoppy’s North River Corner Market in the NorthShore area. He took over the store in 2020 from one of the previous owners, Fedora Evans, who shared her biscuit and a few other recipes with him so he could continue to serve several of the loyal customers’ favorite.
When the shop originally opened nearly 90-years ago, it was a butcher shop. When Evans bought the building, she started serving breakfast and lunch and now Hoppy carries the torch.
“This is the original butcher table,” he said as he showed me the solid wooden table which he said required the use of a pallet jack to place it in its current location.
In addition to biscuits, hot dogs and sandwiches Hoppy is flipping award winning burgers. Hoppy and the folks at the store were recently recognized by the state with a resolution for winning the classic burger category in the annual Chattanooga Burger Week contest. Their back-to-back wins were honored by Senator Bo Watson and Senator Todd Gardenhire.
Hoppy guided me toward the cash register where I ordered the classic bacon cheeseburger.
“Quarter pound or half pound?” he asked.
“Quarter pound is fine,” I replied. Instead of fries I got tater tots and I pulled a bottle of Sunkist out of the beverage refrigerator to complete the order.
I got it all the way mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion and minus the pickles. The burger was juicy, cheesy and what you expect from a classic cheeseburger. I can see why it won in 2025. I’ll need to go back and try this year’s classic winner, Swiss onion burger.
Hoppy also loves beer and his store carries a variety of brews, especially as we approach October. He has stocked the store with a selection of German beers, for Oktoberfest, which you can mix and match for a six-pack at $12.95.
He said he works with a company to import his German beer but also mentioned the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company with a branch in Mill River, N.C. creates specialty beers for Oktoberfest, and he has this year’s selection in stock. He brought over sample cans. On the back of one it mentioned how the brewer collaborates with a German brewery to make the yearly collection.
Of course he carries domestic beers as well.
Folks kept walking in to pick up their to-go orders or sit at one of the tables for lunch. In between taking orders Hoppy kept restocking his beer refrigerators. Being that it was Friday, some customers cracked open an ice-cold beer instead of a soda.
“You can drink beer here?” I asked.
“Yes, but we had to jump through hoops,” Hoppy said. He said the store wasn’t zoned for in-house beer consumption, but he worked with city officials who helped him change certain regulations.
He said mayor Tim Kelly was helpful and understood the importance of giving folks in the neighborhood a place where they could gather, eat, drink a beer and go shopping.
“Now folks can come in, watch sports on our TV and have a beer with their sandwich,” he said.
The store is stocked with candy, toilet paper, dog food and other grocery items providing folks who live nearby a quick and convenient place to shop. He also has his store pictured on T-shirts. The décor is fun, quirky and fits Hoppy’s personality to a tea.
Hoppy’s North River Corner Market
- 100 W Bell Ave., Chattanooga, TN
- (423) 266-5006
- facebook.com/wbellandspears
- $$ - $$$