Whit’s Custard has opened at 4310 Veterans Pkwy. (near Franklin Road), in the building also housing Waldo’s, Vui’s and Tazikis.

The growing regional chain, known for frozen custard made fresh daily, serves classic vanilla and chocolate flavors alongside rotating weekly specialties, custard sandwiches, scoops and shakes, floats, sundaes and “Whitser” concrete-style creations.

Whit’s also offers plenty of gluten-free, vegan and zero-sugar options.

This is Whit’s third Middle Tennessee location. The brand first opened in Franklin in 2016, then expanded to Spring Hill in 2023.

Hours are 12 to 9 p.m. daily. Visit whitsfrozencustard.com for more info.

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KCrave Korean Snack Bar has opened at 2314 Medical Center Pkwy., Ste. A3, in the former Peach Cobbler Factory space.

The new Korean cafe offers Asian favorites including Korean corn dogs, spicy Tteokbokki, ramen options, kimbap, Korean fried chicken and more. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. For more information, visit kcrave.com.

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Hungry Spot Jamaica, formerly located at 1600 Memorial Blvd., has closed.

Escobar Grill and Fry has renovated the restaurant space, and opened for business in June.

The new restaurant, affiliated with the local Escobar smoke shops, provides wings, burgers, crepes, loaded fries, shawarma and other late-night munchies.

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Chex Grill & Wings has opened its Murfreesboro location at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Rutherford Boulevard, between Waffle House and the upcoming Biladi Coffee House.

Chex offers a variety of hot items like wings—available in 45 different flavors such as cilantro lime, Hawaiian blaze, jerk, spicy honey mustard, teriyaki and its popular strawberry hot, among many others—stacked burgers, loaded wraps and subs, as well as salads, cheesecakes and more.

The restaurant currently operates locations primarily in North and South Carolina, with a couple of Nashville locations as well—5101 Illinois Ave., and 2530 Murfreesboro Pk.

Chex Grill Murfreesboro is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Find more information at chexgrill.com or on social media.

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Joanie’s has officially opened its newly expanded space on the Murfreesboro Public Square, first welcoming customers into its next-door addition on July 20. The expansion nearly doubles the restaurant’s footprint and provides a relaxed new gathering space while preserving the atmosphere, food and drinks that has made Joanie’s a downtown favorite.

The addition features a new coffee bar, a comfortable lounge area with couches, expanded table seating and a fun collection of colorful artwork throughout the space. Guests can also enjoy a nostalgic touch with an old-school Pac-Man tabletop arcade game.

In addition to creating more room for diners, the expansion allows Joanie’s to broaden its beverage offerings with an expanded wine selection while providing much more space for customers to meet, work remotely, relax over coffee or enjoy a meal.

Joanie’s is located at 13 S. Public Square in the heart of downtown Murfreesboro and is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner six days a week, with slightly shorter operating hours on Sunday—open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, find Joanie’s on Facebook or Instagram or visit joaniesboro.com.

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Graze Craze, the charcuterie brand known for transforming graze-style dining into an art form, has opened a new Tennessee shop in Murfreesboro. Located within the Fountains at Gateway shopping center at 1440 Medical Center Pkwy., Ste D, the new location offers handcrafted charcuterie boards, grazing boxes, and customized catering services for events, business gatherings, celebrations, and everyday entertaining.

The new Graze Craze delivers visually stunning food experiences designed to bring people together. The brand’s premium charcuterie creations are prepared by trained Grazologists, who select artisan meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, vegetables, house-made dips, crackers, and sweet treats to create memorable flavor combinations and eye-catching presentations.

Graze Craze Murfreesboro customers can choose from several curated charcuterie options, including:

Gone Grazey – A signature assortment of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, vegetables, crackers, and sweet accents

The Vegegrazian – A vibrant vegetarian spread featuring seasonal produce and house-made dips

Sweet & Grazey – A dessert-inspired board with chocolates, cookies, fruit, and indulgent sweet dips

The Murfreesboro Graze Craze is locally owned by Jason Dishon, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and Taylor Castranova, both entrepreneurs with extensive backgrounds in sales leadership, operations, marketing, customer experience, and hospitality.

“Our careers have always centered around creating experiences people remember,” said Castranova. “Whether that’s through hospitality, travel, design, or now, food, we love being part of the moments that bring people together.”

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit grazecraze.com for additional information.

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City Barbeque will soon open in Murfreesboro. The barbeque chain will host its grand opening on Monday, July 20, at noon at its brand new location at 107 N. Thompson Ln.

To celebrate, City Barbeque will host a Rib’n & Ribbon Cutting with the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce at 10 a.m. The first 50 guests in line will receive a gift bag featuring a branded T-shirt, a bottle of signature sauce and gift cards ranging from $5 to $50.

At City Barbeque, guests can enjoy smoked brisket, pulled pork, St. Louis ribs, smoked turkey and chicken alongside mac and cheese, baked beans, collard greens, fried okra and coleslaw.

City Barbeque Murfreesboro will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with extended hours until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Visit citybbq.com to learn more.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened a new Murfreesboro location at 230 N. Rutherford Blvd., just across from the MTSU campus, near the intersection of East Main Street and Rutherford Boulevard. The restaurant—the fourth Chipotle location in Murfreesboro—features the company’s modern fast-casual design along with a drive-thru pickup lane for digital orders.

The new restaurant offers Chipotle’s familiar menu of customizable burritos, bowls, tacos, salads and quesadillas made with a selection of grilled meats, vegetables, rice, beans and toppings.

The location is open daily from 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Additionally, work continues on Murfreesboro’s fifth Chipotle, located on Veterans Parkway near Blackman Road.

For more information or to place an order, visit chipotle.com.

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Bibles and Coffee—The Cafe has announced that it will host its grand opening at 214 W. Main St. in downtown Murfreesboro from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 24.

Bibles and Coffee is a cozy coffee shop and boutique with faith-filled gifts, Bibles and community.

“What began as Bibles and Coffee online is becoming a physical place in downtown Murfreesboro. After 10 years and over 13,000 Bibles shipped worldwide, we’re creating a space where faith feels approachable, coffee invites you to slow down, and community happens naturally,” according to a post from the company.

Visit biblesandcoffee.com for more information and updates.

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Lowe’s is currently working with the City of Murfreesboro to annex and rezone approximately 16 acres located along Shelbyville Pike.

Lowe’s plans to build a new home improvement store on the land, next to the RaceTrac just across from Volunteer Road.

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Clarius Partners continues developing its plans for Clarius Park, a large tech and industrial park on Broad Street, near Interstate I-840, on the Hord property. This site was formerly in the works to house Legacy Sports Park, a massive sports and entertainment venue whose local plans have since fizzled out (and whose founders are currently serving prison terms for federal fraud and identity theft charges stemming from their scheme).

Clarius Park developers have agreed to make significant area infrastructure improvements, which will be funded by them, according to Murfreesboro city officials, following a recent rezoning, allowing the project to move forward.

Plans for the 167 acres include seven buildings offering a combined 2 million square feet of space. The buildings will range between 90,000 and 1,075,000 square feet.

The plans also involve Clarius donating approximately five acres to the City of Murfreesboro to support an adjacent wastewater treatment facility, according to reports.

“Data centers aren’t an approved use in this planned industrial development,” Greg McKnight, executive director of development services at the City of Murfreesboro, told the Nashville Post, addressing heightened concerns that these, and other, large industrial buildings could house data centers.

The Chicago-based Clarius Partners has developed industrial, medical and office projects in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, California, North Carolina and South Carolina.

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The Murfreesboro City Council recently approved Acension’s new emergency hospital on Highway 96 next to Murfreesboro Medical Clinic’s new complex.

This hospital will provide emergency room access for residents on the east side of the city and county, and area infrastructure work should include substantial road improvements.

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Kroger has unveiled plans for a new store on Memorial Boulevard.

This project will involve major drainage improvements for residents in Palmer Heights as development progresses along Memorial, according to Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland.

While Kroger already operates a store about a mile south of the new site at Iron Gate, Kroger officials told the city the grocery store model has changed and that they realistically can’t renovate the existing store while keeping it open, McFarland said, so the company opted to build a larger, newer store to serve the north Murfreesboro area.

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Photo by Cynthia Upchurch

O’Reilly Auto Parts is opening a new 30,000-square-foot location at the Mercury Plaza near America’s Thrift. The store is now hiring, according to a banner hung at the space.

UPDATE: This location of O’Reilly Auto Parts, 1050 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., opened on July 11. Hours are 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday.

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Advance Auto Parts plans to build a new location at 5208 Veterans Pkwy. The Murfreesboro Planning Commission recently approved site plans for the 6,900-square-foot auto parts retail store located along the north side of Veterans Parkway near Blackman Road.

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Sunshine Nutrition Center has closed its Smyrna store on Rock Springs Road, after nearly 35 years of operation.

Sunshine’s Murfreesboro location, at 621 S. Church St., remains open, offering essential oils, herbs, vitamins, honey, supplements, teas, bulk nuts and grains, groceries and many other health and wellness items.