
<PAGE>   1
              As Filed With the Securities and Exchange Commission
                              on November 22, 1999

                                                           Registration No. 333-

 ................................................................................


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
             REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 ................................................................................


                           J. ALEXANDER'S CORPORATION
             (Exact name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                TENNESSEE                                       62-0854056
     (State or Other Jurisdiction of                         (I.R.S. Employer
     Incorporation or Organization)                        Identification No.)

       J. ALEXANDER'S CORPORATION
             P. O. BOX 24300                                      37203
     3401 WEST END AVENUE, SUITE 260                            (Zip Code)
          NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

                  J. Alexander's Corporation 1999 Loan Program
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                R. GREGORY LEWIS
                                 P. O. BOX 24300
                         3401 WEST END AVENUE, SUITE 260
                           NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37203
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (615) 269-1900
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                                    Copy to:

                             F. MITCHELL WALKER, JR.
                             BASS, BERRY & SIMS PLC
                           2700 FIRST AMERICAN CENTER
                           NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37238


                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                Proposed maximum     Proposed maximum
    Title of securities           Amount to      offering price     aggregate offering      Amount of
     to be registered           be registered     per share (1)          price (1)       registration fee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
<S>                            <C>              <C>                 <C>                  <C>
       Common Stock,
 par value $.05 per share      400,000 shares         $2.25              $900,000             $250.20
===========================================================================================================
</TABLE>

(1) The offering price is estimated solely for the purpose of determining the
amount of the registration fee in accordance with Rules 457(h) and 457(c) under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Securities Act"), based on the average
of the high and low sales prices per share on the Registrant's Common Stock as
reported on the New York Stock Exchange on November 17, 1999.


<PAGE>   2



                                     PART II

                    INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION
                                    STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

         The following documents previously filed by the Registrant with the
Commission are incorporated herein by reference:

                  (a)      The Annual Report on Form 10-K, for the fiscal year
                           ended January 3, 1999 (originally filed March 23,
                           1999, as amended May 14, 1999); and

                  (b)      All other reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to
                           Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities and Exchange
                           Act of 1934 since the end of the fiscal year covered
                           by the Annual Report referenced above, including the
                           Registrant's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the
                           quarters ended April 4, 1999, July 4, 1999 and
                           October 3, 1999; and

                  (c)      The description of the Registrant's Common Stock
                           contained in the effective Registration Statement on
                           Form 8-A filed by the Registrant to register the
                           Common Stock under the Exchange Act, including all
                           amendments and reports filed for the purpose of
                           updating such description prior to the termination of
                           the offering of the Common Stock offered hereby.

         All documents and reports subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant
to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "Exchange Act"), prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment
to this Registration Statement which indicates that all shares covered hereby
have been sold or which deregisters all such shares then remaining unsold shall
be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to
be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statements
contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein shall be deemed to be modified or replaced for purposes hereof to the
extent that a statement contained herein (or in any other subsequently filed
document which also is incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein) modifies or replaces such statement. Any statement so modified or
replaced shall not be deemed, except as so modified or replaced, to constitute a
part hereof.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

Not applicable

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

Not applicable

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

         The Tennessee Business Corporation Act ("TBCA") provides that a
corporation may indemnify any of its directors and officers against liability
incurred in connection with a proceeding if (a) such person acted in good faith;
(b) in the case of conduct in an official capacity with the corporation, he
reasonably believed such conduct was in the corporation's best interests; (c) in
all other cases, he reasonably believed that his conduct was at least not
opposed to the best interests of the corporation; and (d) in connection with any
criminal proceeding, such person had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct
was unlawful. In actions brought by or in the right of the corporation, however,
the TBCA provides that no indemnification may be made if the director or officer
was adjudged to be liable



                                      II-1


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to the corporation. The TBCA also provides that in connection with any
proceeding charging improper personal benefit to an officer or director, no
indemnification may be made if such officer or director is adjudged liable on
the basis that such personal benefit was improperly received. In cases where the
director or officer is wholly successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the
defense of any proceeding instigated because of his or her status as a director
or officer of a corporation, the TBCA mandates that the corporation indemnify
the director or officer against reasonable expenses incurred in the proceeding.
The TBCA provides that a court of competent jurisdiction, unless the
corporation's charter provides otherwise, upon application, may order that an
officer or director be indemnified for reasonable expenses if, in consideration
of all relevant circumstances, the court determines that such individual is
fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, notwithstanding the fact that
(a) such officer or director was adjudged liable to the corporation in a
proceeding by or in the right of the corporation; (b) such officer or director
was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received
by him; or (c) such officer or director breached his duty of care to the
corporation.

         The Registrant's Charter and Bylaws provide that the Registrant shall
indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by
applicable law. The Registrant's Bylaws provide further that the Registrant
shall advance expenses to each director and officer of the Registrant to the
full extent allowed by the laws of the state of Tennessee, both as now in effect
and as hereafter adopted. Under the Registrant's Charter and Bylaws, such
indemnification and advancement of expenses provisions are not exclusive of any
other right that a director or officer may have or acquire both as to action in
his or her official capacity and as to action in another capacity.

         The Registrant believes that its Charter and Bylaw provisions are
necessary to attract and retain qualified persons as directors and officers.

         The Registrant has in effect a directors' and officers' liability
insurance policy which provides coverage for its directors and officers. Under
this policy, the insurer agrees to pay, subject to certain exclusions, for any
claim made against a director or officer of the Registrant for a wrongful act by
such director or officer, but only if and to the extent such director or officer
becomes legally obligated to pay such claim.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

Not applicable

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS

See Exhibit Index (Page II-5)

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

A.       The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

         (1)      To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being
                  made, a post-effective amendment to this Registration
                  Statement:

                  (i)      To include any prospectus required by Section
                           10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
                           (the "Securities Act");

                  (ii)     To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the Registration
                           Statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment hereof) which individually or in the
                           aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                           information set forth in the Registration Statement.
                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                           decrease in the volume of securities offered (if the
                           total dollar value of securities would not



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<PAGE>   4



                           exceed that which was registered) and any deviation
                           from the low or high and of the estimated maximum
                           offering range may be reflected in the form of
                           prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                           424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume
                           and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                           the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                           "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                           effective registration statement; and

                  (iii)    To include any material information with respect to
                           the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in
                           the Registration Statement or any material change to
                           such information in the Registration Statement;

                  provided, however, that paragraphs (A)(1)(i) and (A)(1)(ii) do
                  not apply if the information required to be included in a
                  post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
                  periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant to Section
                  13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act, that are incorporated
                  by reference in the Registration Statement.

         (2)      That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the
                  Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be
                  deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the
                  securities offered therein, and the offering of such
                  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                  fide offering thereof.

         (3)      To remove from registration by means of a post-effective
                  amendment any of the securities being registered which remain
                  unsold at the termination of the offering.

B.       The Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any
         liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant's
         annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
         Exchange Act that is incorporated by reference in the Registration
         Statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating
         to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities
         at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
         thereof.

C.       Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities
         Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling persons of
         the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the
         Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and
         Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as
         expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In
         the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities
         (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid
         by a director, officer, or controlling person of the Registrant in the
         successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by
         such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the
         securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion
         of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
         submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question of whether
         such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the
         Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such
         issue.





                                      II-3


<PAGE>   5




                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of Nashville, State of Tennessee, on the 19th day
of November, 1999.


                                      J. ALEXANDER'S CORPORATION



                                      By: /s/ Lonnie J. Stout II
                                          --------------------------------------
                                              Lonnie J. Stout II, President and
                                              Chief Executive Officer
                                              (Principal Executive Officer)


         KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, each person whose signature appears
below hereby constitutes and appoints Lonnie J. Stout II and R. Gregory Lewis
his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of
substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in his or her name, place
and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this
Registration Statement, and to file the same, with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents full power and
authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary
to be done in and about the premises, as fully to all intents and purposes as he
or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that
said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or his substitute or substitutes, may
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the
capacities and as of the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
         Signature                              Title                                Date
         ---------                              -----                                ----
<S>                                    <C>                                      <C>
/s/ Lonnie J. Stout II                 Chairman, President, Chief               November 19, 1999
-------------------------------        Executive Officer and Director
Lonnie J. Stout II                     (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/ R. Gregory Lewis                   Vice President and Chief                 November 19, 1999
-------------------------------        Financial Officer (Principal
R. Gregory Lewis                       Financial Officer)


/s/ Mark A. Parkey                     Vice President and Controller            November 19, 1999
-------------------------------        (Principal Accounting Officer)
Mark A. Parkey


/s/ E. Townes Duncan                   Director                                 November 19, 1999
-------------------------------
E. Townes Duncan


/s/ Garland G. Fritts                  Director                                 November 19, 1999
-------------------------------
Garland G. Fritts

/s/ John M. Tobias                     Director                                 November 19, 1999
-------------------------------
John L. M. Tobias
</TABLE>



                                      II-4


<PAGE>   6


                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
       Exhibit
         No.                     Exhibit Description
         ---                     -------------------
<S>               <C>
         4.1      Description of J. Alexander's Corporation 1999 Loan Program

         4.2      Form of Promissory Note under 1999 Loan Program

         5        Opinion of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

         23.1     Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

         23.2     Consent of Bass, Berry & Sims PLC (included in Exhibit 5)

         24       Power of Attorney (included on page II-4)
</TABLE>








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