About
Rock City Enterprises is a family-owned hospitality company with a mission to create memories worth repeating for its guests and partners. Now under fourth-generation ownership, the company owns and operates iconic Rock City Gardens, Chanticleer Inn Bed & Breakfast, Grandview wedding and event venue, GOOD DOG, Starbucks on Lookout Mountain, and Clumpies Ice Cream Co.
Originally founded in 1932 when Garnet and Frieda Carter turned their backyard – an array of otherworldly rock formations, caverns and mountain top views – into one of the Southeast’s most popular natural attractions, Rock City Gardens. The company built its reputation through one of the most recognizable advertising campaigns in American history—hand-painted barns urging travelers to ‘See Rock City.’ These barns became a symbol of Americana and inspired the creation of Rock City birdhouses now found across the country and even around the world. To honor that legacy, the company’s new corporate logo features the iconic birdhouse, symbolizing its deep history.
Today, Rock City Enterprises operates with the same spirit of hospitality, creativity, and stewardship that shaped its beginnings. The company’s foundational values—courage, care, wonder, and excellence—guide its continued growth today.
Our Mission
To Enrich Lives Through Wonder and Connection
Corporate Commitment
At Rock City Enterprises, we are committed to cultivating and protecting a set of timeless, foundational values that define how we work together and how we serve others.
These core principles shape every aspect of our organization and provide the groundwork for our continued promise to deliver exceptional guest experiences. They also guide our stewardship of what matters most—our people, financial health, physical assets, historical legacy, and our surrounding community.
Our values are more than words; they are the shared commitments that move us forward:
Care.
Courage.
Excellence.
Wonder.
