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Ruby Tuesday Lodge wants to open to the public as a hotel and restaurant when not being used by Ruby Tuesday for corporate events and training.

On March 17, the Maryville Planning Commission will consider a request from Maryville College to rezone the property in the Maryville College Woods from Residential to Central Community, which will allow the lodge to operate as a hotel and restaurant.

Since 1997, Ruby Tuesday has used the lodge on the Maryville College campus under a 50-year lease. The property has been used exclusively for training and housing Ruby Tuesday employees.

Gary Doyle, who has served as manager at Ruby Tuesday Lodge the past 15 months, said, "We want to be available to Maryville College alumni, Foothills Fall Festival attendees and the general public. Other colleges have similar accommodations on campus, and it works well."

Doyle said that -- if the lodge is permitted to open to the public -- it would create new jobs at the property for students.

"It's really a win-win-win situation," he said.

Although a pricing structure is still being formulated for the lodge, Doyle said it would be similar to comparable facilities.

Ruby Tuesday Lodge, which can accommodate 100 guests, would be ready to open to the general public as soon as zoning changes were made and all of the appropriate permits were issued, according to Doyle.

Ruby Tuesday Lodge is the original home of Susan Wiley Cooper Walker, who built the home known as the Morningside in 1932 and filled it with antiques and mementos of her travels. After her death, it became the home for Maryville College presidents from 1951-76. It was turned into a restaurant known as Morningside Inn in 1985 by Nan and Tom Taylor.

In 1997, when Ruby Tuesday leased the building and refurbished it, the company worked to retain the original atmosphere of the property, including maintaining many of Walker's antiques.