Fresh Hospitality and the Bodnar Group have announced plans for a multi-tenant commercial development at the northeast corner of Veterans Parkway and Jack Byrnes Drive. The new development will include three commercial buildings, with tenants Vui’s Kitchen, Waldo’s Chicken and Beer and Taziki’s expected to use the units available for restaurants.

[UPDATE (5/26): A representative from Big Bad Breakfast contacted the Pulse and stated that the restaurant, which was originally mentioned in plans submitted to the city council, will not be included in this development].

Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, which operates numerous other stores in Middle Tennessee, specializes in Southern-fried and rotisserie chicken, while the Nashville-based Vui’s Kitchen offers pho, bahn mi, wings, dumplings, bao and other Vietnamese-themed food.

Taziki’s offers Mediterranean dishes like falafel and gyros; Taziki’s opened its first Murfreesboro location in 2023.

Fresh Hospitality, just one of the portfolio companies of Bodnar Group—a holding company with investments in software, manufacturing, information technology, food and beverage, retail, commercial real estate, packaged goods and agriculture—includes brands such as Jim ’N Nick’s and I Love Juice Bar, as well as the concepts proposed for Veterans Parkway.

___

LaQuinta Hawthorn Hotel will construct a 102-room hotel along Cedar Glades Drive and Manson Crossing Drive in the area near the Walmart Neighborhood Market. The project is led by developers Krishna Patel and Ritesh Patel, and comes as part of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ expansion of its dual-brand hotel concept, which began in 2022, when it combined the upper-midscale LaQuinta with extended-stay Hawthorn Suites. The first property of this type opened in Pflugerville, Texas, and featured guest rooms designed for both short-term and extended-stay guests.

___

Home Outlet will open soon at 1264 NW Broad St. near Big Lots, which itself recently reopened.

Home Outlet, which is entirely employee-owned, specializes in quality kitchen appliances, baths, flooring, doors and more at low prices. Home Outlet offers a military appreciation program, a store credit card, pro program, nationwide shipping, and in-store pickup. It is dedicated to serving DIY and experienced customers alike, and offers an extensive in-stock inventory with custom order options available as well.

Other services include 3D kitchen planning, and bath, floor, door and window estimates. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

___

Big Lots announced its sale to Gordon Brothers Retail Partners in January, when it closed almost 500 locations nationwide. As part of the deal, Variety Wholesalers acquired 219 Big Lots stores and two distribution centers. Four locations will reopen in Tennessee including stores in Cleveland, Knoxville, Murfreesboro and Rogersville.

___

Wendy’s will open a new Murfreesboro location at 3341 S. Church St. The new location, with an estimated opening date sometime in June, is currently in the building stage.

___

Jersey Mike’s has opened its fourth location in Murfreesboro, open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 2950 S. Rutherford Blvd. The sub chain says it plans to open another 297 franchises across the states, 10 of those in Tennessee, bringing the restaurant’s total to around 3,500 locations. Visit jerseymikes.com for more information.

___

Shabu Shabu has put up its sign at its Murfreesboro location, just beside Barnes & Noble at The Avenue. The restaurant is an interactive Japanese dining experience offering hot pot and Korean-style BBQ. Guests have the option to cook thinly sliced meats and vegetables in a simmering broth at their table, which can then be dipped into a variety of flavorful sauces. Customers can choose from a variety of broths such as miso, tomato, tonkotsu, sukiyaki, curry, Szechuan spicy or tom yum, and select ingredients like meats, vegetables, seafood, dumplings, meatballs and noodles to cook in the hot pot. Additional offerings include vegan and vegetarian options, as well as bubble teas.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Shabu Shabu space, Genghis Grill has closed.

___

The Rutherford County Commission has approved the construction of a $15 million forensic center, located near Weakley Lane at 206 I St. in Smyrna.

The 10-acre Rutherford County Campus property, currently home to the county clerk’s office and convenience center, will also host an additional emergency medical service location and an office building.

The approval comes nearly a year after the Tennessee Department of Health emphasized an urgent need for a sixth regional forensic center and endorsed Rutherford County as the ideal site in its Formal Assessment Final Report Feasibility Study.

“Rutherford County is the fourth largest county in Tennessee, and we are in dire need of better control of the forensic services provided to law enforcement agencies from a quality and financial standpoint,” said Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr. “Outside of the metro counties, Rutherford County orders the highest number of autopsies of any Tennessee county. This resource within Rutherford County would provide prioritized quality for our residents with death investigation services.”

The new forensic center will improve efficiency in death investigations, reducing delays in communication and offering critical support to grieving families.

“The forensic center will allow the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office to effectively and efficiently investigate crimes in Rutherford County resulting in a death,” said Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh. “One of the most important aspects of a death investigation is effective and expeditious communication with our investigative partners and, most importantly, with the families of the victim. The forensic center in Rutherford County will aid us in these type of investigations by reducing the securing of results from months to weeks.”

The forensic center should be operational by the first quarter of 2027.

___

CLOSINGS

Campus Subs, located at 1124 Old Lascassas Rd., for years dedicated to providing meat-and-three plates and sandwiches, will soon close, according to owner Doug Stroop. In addition, the Daily Dollar, located in the same building, will also close.

The news comes shortly after the 2024 death of Murfreesboro businessman Robert Stroop, Doug’s father.

___

Curries Indian Fusion, which specialized in Indian fusion bowls and is located at 2108 Medical Center Pkwy., has closed. The restaurant’s doors have been locked, online ordering remains unavailable and the business’ Google page labels it as “permanently closed,” although no official announcements have been made via the Curries Facebook page.

___

Alternative Health Products at The Avenue, known for its wide variety of supplements, essential oils, organic goods, vitamins and healthy food and beverage options, is holding a store closing sale after five years in business at the 2615 Medical Center Pkwy., Ste. 700 space.

___

Saks Global will begin a permanent closure of its Tennessee Fulfillment Center facility at 1 Walden Books Dr., La Vergne, starting June 4, 2025, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This will result in job loss for 446 employees, with the final separations expected to be completed by Nov. 30.

The closure comes as part of a broader downsizing for the company. No collective bargaining agreements are in place for the affected workers. The Northern Middle Local Workforce Development Area rapid response team, coordinated by Workforce Essentials, has been activated to support the impacted employees and provide guidance and resources to help workers navigate unemployment, retraining opportunities, and job placement services.

In addition, Saks will also close its iconic Union Square location in San Francisco on May 10 after recently acquiring Neiman Marcus during late 2024.

___

In the midst of various local rumors and ideas for the restaurant space’s future, the former City Cafe unit, 113 E. Main St., remains unoccupied and available for lease.