Big Creek Winery Tasting Room
Christiana has added another draw.
Big Creek Winery has opened a tasting room in Christiana.
Located across the street from Miller’s Grocery, the new venture by Candy Wence offers wines made with locally sourced fruits, Muscadine and Concord grapes, peaches, apples and blackberries, and produced at Big Creek Winery in Pulaski.
The tasting room is located at 7027 Main St. in Christiana.
Historical Theater Renovation
Charles and Aimee Welchance have launched a GoFundMe to help with the restoration of a small historic movie theater in Smyrna. Since being closed in the 1950s, the building has been home to several businesses and undergone several remodels in the intervening years.
The Welchances say they want to “return this historic building to a theater for live events and shows on the big screen.”
They have finished the demo and are currently working to bring the building up to codes by replacing wiring, plumbing and HVAC, renovations expected to cost $75,000 or more. To donate, or for more information, find a Historical Theater Renovation page on gofundme.com.
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On the other side of Smyrna, Becky Lanham is branching out from Murfreesboro with a new venue concept for north Rutherford. She plans to open The Remington Room in September to offer an affordable event space at 8014 Safari Dr. in Smyrna. The venue will include linens, draping, uplighting and string lights in every package. You may not know this, but the inclusion of those extras alone can save you hundreds of dollars on your event.
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Nearby, Second Harvest Food Bank opened its first distribution center outside of Davidson County in Smyrna.
The center opened on Thursday, July 26, to help fight food insecurity in Rutherford County. According to Map the Meal Gap findings, we currently have a food insecurity rate of 12 percent, with 11,840 food-insecure children. This means they do not know where they will get their next meal.
You can use the money you saved on linens to help feed kids. Win-win.
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Food News
Ichiban Authentic Japanese Cuisine will finally open.
It’s been more than a year since the Nashville staple bought and renovated the old Moose Lodge on Broad Street.
But after a year of struggles with remodeling and codes, the restaurant that once stood on Second Avenue in Nashville will finally open in Murfreesboro.
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In addition to BoomBozz and Sal’s Pizzeria, The Gateway is getting another slice of life. Blaze Pizza is opening a location at 2314 Medical Center Pkwy. in Murfreesboro.
A California-based chain with Blaze Pizza features fast-fired artisanal pizza with made-from-scratch dough. No opening date has been set yet.
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Ron and Anna, the founders of All American Cafe, have sold the restaurant. The new owners took over Aug. 1. Will we still see the famous All American clown around town?
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Speaking of new owners, the family who owns Gyro Tabouli on Old Fort Parkway has taken over at the Roma Pizza on Northfield Boulevard. If Gyro Tabouli is a sign, expect delicious food and great customer service to continue.
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China Wok has reopened in its new location, 2327 Memorial Blvd., next to Kroger. As reported last month, the restaurant was forced to move because of changes to the strip mall that formerly housed Hastings.
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Ginger Thai has also opened a new location in the spot that formerly housed JoZara in The Oaks.
This is a second location for the family-owned Nashville restaurant. Ginger Thai grew out of the Lao Lane Xang Oriental Market off Thompson Lane in Nashville. The restaurant uses fresh, high-quality ingredients to create authentic, flavorful Thai dishes.
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Boro Town Cakes is opening a second location about a block from its spot on the Square.
The new shop, Boro Town Cakes Too, will offer “grab and go” foods for busy attorneys at the new Judicial Center on Lytle Street.
All the offerings, sandwiches, breakfast items and sweet treats will be made at the original location for purchase at the new location.
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The Murfreesboro Planning Commission approved modifications to Peter D’s building to change it into a McAlister’s Deli. Changes include additional doors to provide access to an existing patio, parking spaces and window awnings. McAlister’s also plans to make a few aesthetic changes to better fit the company’s brand.
The Planning Commission also approved a new multi-tenant commercial building to be built at 3138 S. Church St. The building is the second phase in the commercial development that houses Oscar’s Taco Shop and Seoul Pepper.
The new construction will have a drive-thru and room for up to three more restaurants.
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Target Adds Drive-Up Service
Target runs are about to get easier in Murfreesboro.
The company announced it is expanding its Drive Up time-saving services across the Midwest and Southeast, including the Old Fort Parkway store.
“We set out this year with an ambitious plan to bring Target guests nationwide more ways to shop on their terms,” said John Mulligan, Target’s CEO. “Our guests are enjoying the convenience of these new delivery and pickup services as we’re working to redefine the Target Run and make Target America’s easiest place to shop.”
Drive Up allows customers to place orders via the Target app and then have their items brought out to their cars by a store team member. Orders arrive within two minutes of a customer’s arrival in the store parking lot.
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Racetrac plans to build a 5,411-square-foot convenience store at New Salem and Warrior Drive, catty-cornered to Speedway.
Kathy Nobles plans to develop a two-building commercial site for retail and restaurants in north Murfreesboro.
The development, called Brookhaven Place, will house an 11,916-square-foot and an 8,903-square-foot building on Memorial Boulevard at Eleanor Way.
Coach Micheal Burt wants to build a new home for his company, “The Greatness Factory.” The new site on Luke Court will house the office and assembly space.
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Closings Corner
Not even a year after it opened, the Taco John’s in La Vergne has closed its doors. Branded as West-Mex, the fast-food taco joint was the first of several planned for Tennessee. Alas, it wasn’t to be. If you are still craving Potato Olés, the Taco John’s in Columbia is still open.
KitchenFresh, at Fountains at Gateway, was also a short-lived concept. Developer Scott Graby said the fast-casual restaurant that specialized in healthy food closed because of “Murfreesboro’s hyper-competitive restaurant scene” and a lack of demand for the concept.
Mars’ attack on Murfreesboro has ended. Both Frozen Treats from Mars Theater and Attack Barcadium From Mars Theater have closed. Both concepts were owned and operated by David and Gina Stansberry, the same folks who proposed a drive-in theater in the Florence area. Still no definitive word yet on the future existence of the theater.
When asked on Facebook what happened to the downtown Murfreesboro spots, David Stansberry posted, “with a town of 130,000 people (many of them being young), you’d expect people to want unique experiences—but after a lot of experimentation, they don’t. They want reliable and cheap watering holes or large chains.”
In Woodbury, Southern Charm Cafe & Bakery has closed, after selling much of its furniture and restaurant equipment.
