Vui’s Kitchen’s has closed its Murfreesboro location at 4310 Veterans Pkwy. after only seven months of operation. Its Franklin and Nashville locations remain open as of now.
The space, located next to Waldo’s Chicken & Beer, will soon house Little Hats Italian Market, which offers a variety of delicious fine meats, cheeses, contemporary Italian products, prepared sandwiches, fresh, handmade pasta cooked in-house, salads, soups, cheesecakes, cannoli, and Zeppole—a dish containing five Italian fried dough balls covered in a salted caramel drizzle and powdered sugar.
Little Hats also operates market locations in Cool Springs, Hillsboro Village, Gallatin and Germantown.
Hours will be 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; for more information, visit littlehatsmarket.com.
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King 7 Korean Chicken has opened at 2033 Lascassas Pk. The new restaurant offers a variety of Korean chicken options including drumsticks, nuggets, wings, gizzards and skewers in an assortment of flavors. The restaurant also serves seaweed noodle rolls, kimchi, dumplings, cheesy street corn, Korean corndogs, and more.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Monday (closed on Tuesdays). Visit king7kchicken.com for more information and menu options.
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Hummus and Garlic at 1614 N. Memorial Blvd. now provides delicious and healthy protein and veggie bowls, shawarmas, wings, loaded fries, lemon velvet cakes and other delicious desserts.
Restaurant hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed on Sundays. It shares a building with the Starbucks across from Climb Murfreesboro. Visit hummusgarlic.com for more information on the growing chain, with locations primarily in Michigan and Ohio.
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Island & States – Filipino Restaurant & Bar will open a new restaurant concept in downtown Murfreesboro on Nov. 5. The restaurant will be located at 114 E. College St., the building that was the longtime home of Milano.
The space will provide a unique boardroom and bistro experience, which features private meeting areas, lounge seating, a dining area, cafe, and a bar, according to business operators.
“Our menu celebrates the best of Filipino and American cuisine, offering a blend of traditional Filipino flavors, familiar American favorites, specialty coffee, and handcrafted cocktails inspired by both cultures,” said Mimi Kauffman. “We aim to create a welcoming yet elevated atmosphere where people can gather for business meetings, casual dining, coffee, cocktails, or a night out.”
Selections at Island & States include seared beef, pineapple chicken fried rice, a variety of lumpias, pork BBQ skewers, pastas, salmon, coconut latte, apple-smoked baby back ribs, and grilled chicken marinated with calamansi, cane vinegar, garlic, ginger and lemongrass, basted with annatto-garlic butter, served with steamed rice, and a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad.
Hours will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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Murfreesboro’s Buc-ee’s location, 3355 Elam Rd., off I-24 Exit 84, will open this month—slated for Monday, Nov. 16, at 6 a.m. Those interested in attending the grand opening, according to the Buc-ee’s website, can expect lines to form at the entrance by midnight on Sunday. It also suggests that those interested in filling their tanks should expect 20-minute-plus wait times, as that is the average time frame for opening day at most locations.
Known for its enormous convenience stores, ultra-clean restrooms, extensive selection of snacks and prepared foods, and shelves packed with branded merchandise, Buc-ee’s has developed a loyal following among road-trippers. Its signature barbecue sandwiches, Beaver Nuggets, homemade fudge and wide variety of souvenirs have made the chain something of a tourist destination in its own right, rather than simply a place to stop for gas. For many travelers, a visit to Buc-ee’s is part of the road trip itself.
Visit buceeslocations.us/buc-ees-murfreesboro, for more information.
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After much anticipation, Big Bad Breakfast opened the doors to its new Murfreesboro location at 113 E. Main St., the former home of the historic City Cafe, on Oct. 27
Big Bad Breakfast is a rapidly expanding Southern-inspired breakfast and lunch concept founded in 2008 in Oxford, Mississippi. The menu boasts biscuits, eggs, coffee, flapjacks, fried chicken, bloody marys, mimosas, burgers and more, for breakfast and lunch.
Murfreesboro will be home to BBB’s seventh Tennessee location, with other restaurants in Nashville, Franklin, Memphis, Chattanooga, Spring Hill and South Pittsburg. Regular hours will be 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekends.
Learn more at bigbadbreakfast.com.
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A new downtown coffee shop, Ivy on Spring, located at 203 E. State St., opened to the public on Oct. 27.
The coffee shop serves as an extension to further support the missions of the Murfreesboro-based nonprofit Greenhouse Ministries.
Hours will be Tuesday–Saturday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The shop features a vendor space with products from local small businesses. Plans for the space also include coffee shop-style live music and a meeting space.
Ivy on Spring is currently offering a deal—a year’s worth of prepaid coffee for $75, which provides unlimited drip coffee for a year, as well as one specialty coffee every week for the year.
For more information, find Ivy on Spring on Facebook or Instagram, or visit greenhousemin.org.
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UFC Gym has announced that it will open on Nov. 14 at 205 N. Thompson Ln. with hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The gym will offer Mixed Martial Arts and Jiu Jitsu-inspired training courses, specialized classes, and training for all ages and skill levels.
The gym also offers turf access, Olympic lifting platforms, locker rooms, showers and saunas, strength training equipment, personal training classes, group fitness classes, a gym retail store, cardio equipment, a cycle room, bag rack and more.
UFC Gym will also have a youth program, kids’ club and kids’ gym for young athletes.
For more information, visit ufcgym.com/locations/murfreesboro.
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Kingdom Collective has opened at 27 Public Square in downtown Murfreesboro. The new Christian bookstore and gift shop shares a space with Veda’s Flowers and Gifts, which will remain open for business in a portion of the space.
Kingdom Collective offers Christian books, faith-themed apparel, decor, toys and more. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed on Sundays). For more information, visit instagram.com/kingdomcollectiveboro.
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Habitat for Humanity ReStore plans to move to the former Dirt Cheap building in Mercury Plaza, and is expected to open early 2027. The space will provide almost triple the size of its current building, and doubles the square footage of the retail showroom floor. This will allow the nonprofit to showcase a larger inventory of home goods, furniture, appliances and building supplies.
Administrative offices for the Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity will remain in the current building on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, just behind the new location. The current store location will remain open to shoppers until the new location is prepared to open.
ReStore serves as a vital financial engine for Rutherford County Area Habitat for Humanity. Revenue generated from the retail store helps cover the affiliate’s administrative and operational costs. This ensures that direct financial donations made to the local Habitat chapter go straight toward constructing affordable housing for local families in need. For more information including accepting donations and volunteering, visit rchfh.org/restore.
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A sign has gone up for La Fortaleza, a new Hispanic market coming to South Rutherford Boulevard in the strip also housing Nacho’s Mexican Restaurant and Little Caesar’s Pizza.
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The Fountains at Gateway will bring a $92 million mass timber structure for the Atrium at Fountains mixed-use development. It will add 50 luxury condominiums, 57,000-square-feet of Class A office space, retail, dining, health and wellness services, and a multipurpose theater.
According to Scott Graby, Fountains at Gateway developer and president of Hearthstone Properties, the building will be Tennessee’s largest mass timber structure, displaying white spruce columns, beams, and exposed ceiling panels.
Scheduled for completion in 2028, the five-story, 212,000-square-foot building will have three floors of luxury residences, one-and-a-half floors of corporate office space, and ground-floor retail and restaurant spaces. Access-controlled underground parking and private storage units will be available to condominium owners, while an upper parking deck will accommodate office and retail tenants and guests.
A 175-seat theater on the ground floor will feature tiered seating and a 30-foot video wall to host corporate meetings, civic events, small concerts, plays, movie screenings and banquets.
Plans also include an on-site holistic health collective offering services from concierge physicians, nutritionists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and integrative health practitioners.
The development will offer a glass-roofed atrium at the center featuring a 30-foot waterfall, palm trees, winding pathways, a gazebo and lush landscaping.
Surrounding the atrium will be 52 European-style luxury condominium residences, with an open concept featuring 12-foot exposed mass timber ceilings in the main living areas and floor-to-ceiling glass wall systems opening to private covered terraces for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
Graby said the design philosophy behind Atrium was inspired in part by the island of Kauai, where his family has long been drawn to the combination of its natural beauty, unpretentious small-town character, and sense of serenity that comes from being closely connected to the outdoors.
“From the beginning, our goal with Fountains has been to create a place that feels grounded, welcoming and connected,” Graby said. “With Atrium, we wanted to bring that same sense of serenity indoors and surround it with the things that make daily life richer and easier—independent shops and chef-driven restaurants just steps away, flexible office suites downstairs, holistic health services in the building, and the Murfreesboro Greenway running through the campus.”
Atrium offers 11 luxury floor plans with one-, two-, and three-bedroom options ranging from 838 to 2,796 square feet. For more information, visit atriumatfountains.com.
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Golf Boro, a Murfreesboro-based portable mini golf company, brings a unique entertainment experience to weddings, corporate events, schools, private parties and community celebrations.
Founded by Brian and Michelle Rowland, Golf Boro offers delivery, setup and cleanup of portable mini golf courses at event locations.
Golf Boro offers flexible course options ranging from 3-hole, 6-hole and 9-hole packages to a full 18-hole experience for larger events. Courses can be set up at wedding venues, businesses, schools, homes, and other event spaces. Customers can also add LED lighting for evening events, on-site attendants and personalized elements for weddings and special occasions.
“We started Golf Boro with the idea of creating something fun and different that could be brought directly to your event,” said Brian Rowland, co-owner of Golf Boro.
The company also offers wedding-themed holes and personalized course elements that allow couples to incorporate mini golf into rehearsal dinners, cocktail hours and wedding receptions. For more information, visit golfboro.com.
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Candles By A Dad, owned and operated by local husband-and-wife team Keaton and Ashley Davis, offers nontoxic, 100% soy wax candles with Tennessee-based scents to the Murfreesboro area. Candles can be found at booth B23 at the Collective Boutiques, and on shelves at Elder’s Ace Hardware locations across the state, as well as wholesaler locations including Re-Invintage Home, Happy Place Mercantile, and The Country Gourmet.
“Our journey began after I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, which led our family to start making intentional changes toward a more nontoxic lifestyle,” Ashley said. “My husband has always loved candles, so he decided to try making his own using 100% soy wax and cleaner fragrance ingredients.”
What started as a fun project grew into something much bigger with Candles By A Dad generating approximately $100,000 in annual sales. Candles can be purchased online, through local retail and wholesale partnerships, and at markets throughout Middle Tennessee.
The couple offers scents that celebrate their Tennessee roots through nostalgic, locally inspired fragrances like Tennessee Sunset, Tennessee Leaves, and Tennessee Christmas.
“Over the past two years, our family has walked through some incredibly difficult circumstances, including pregnancy loss, a complicated pregnancy, an 87-day hospital stay, and our daughter’s 46-day NICU journey. Those experiences inspired us to create the Holding Hope Project, an initiative dedicated to supporting families experiencing pregnancy complications, pregnancy and infant loss, and NICU stays,” according to information from the candle-making couple. “Through our annual Wave of Light candle collection, we honor babies gone too soon and donate a portion of the profits to support families walking through similar experiences. We’re also working to provide care carts, comfort items, and encouraging resources for hospitalized mothers and NICU families in Middle Tennessee.”
For more information, visit candlesbyadad.com.
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Middle Tennessee State University recently unveiled the newly expanded Esports Level Up Arena on campus. Combined with the signing of a partnership with XP League of Franklin, the university further boosted investment into competitive gaming and the growing career opportunities for students within an exploding industry.
Under the partnership, XP League of Franklin will provide professional coaching to MTSU student gamers and competitors in its MTSU Esports club, while MTSU will provide the league with weekend space for its middle and high school esports teams to train and compete.
The Level Up Arena is located on the first floor of the Student Union Building and beside the North Commons and Phillip’s Bookstore. is open to all MTSU students, and is equipped with a casual gaming space, console gaming space, and competitive gaming space. For more information on MTSU’s Level Up Arena, visit mtsu.edu/mtunions/levelup.
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Waste Management continues to progress on plans for a new hauling facility on Rutledge Way.
A proposal includes a 20,000-square-foot garbage collection service building located on 12 acres of property zoned heavy industrial along Rutledge Way, just north of Interstate 24. It will also provide a structure for compressed natural gas equipment and utilities, as well as a one-story office and maintenance shop.
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Ascension Saint Thomas and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health, has celebrated the groundbreaking of the Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Rehabilitation Hospital, a new inpatient facility that will expand access to specialized rehabilitation services for patients throughout Rutherford County and the surrounding region.
The two-story building will offer approximately 62,700-square-feet of hospital space on a four-acre site less than 600 yards from Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford hospital. The 40-bed facility will feature all private patient rooms and is designed to accommodate a future expansion of 10 additional beds. Lifepoint Rehabilitation will serve as the hospital’s operator through its joint venture partnership with Ascension Saint Thomas.
“For 100 years, Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford has cared for generations of families in this community. As Rutherford County has grown, we’ve expanded our care locations to help more people get the care they need close to home,” said Daphne David, president and CEO of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford. “Through our partnership with Lifepoint Rehabilitation, we’re extending that care to more patients recovering from serious illnesses and injuries, helping them transition from hospital treatment to specialized rehabilitation while staying close to their families and support systems.”
Plans include a dedicated acquired brain injury unit with specialized amenities, as well as a physical therapy gym, covered outdoor therapy courtyard, pharmacy, dining areas and therapy work rooms designed to support patients throughout their recovery.
Construction is expected to be completed in late 2027.
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Twinning Station in La Vergne continues work on its 77-acre major mixed-use development along Waldron Road. The project will bring new residential and office space, retail space, restaurants, and entertainment options, and is expected to bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue to the city.
“Historically, there’s nothing like this that’s ever been done in La Vergne, and I’m going to go on a limb and say this will be one of its kind in Rutherford County,” said La Vergne Economic Development Director Tom Broeker. “It’s still evolving. We have had great interest from retailers and businesses that want to be there at this point. It will be something that will be a game changer for La Vergne forever.”
City leaders said the Twinning Station project plans to serve people living in the 11,000 homes built within a three-mile radius of the site, which spans households in Rutherford, Davidson and Williamson counties.
La Vergne has approved and funded widening Waldron Road from I-24 to the city line to accommodate increased traffic, as well as adding a new road at Blair Road and Waldron Road, with land set aside for a future fire station and EMS bay.
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CLOSED
Achieve Entrepreneur & Coworking Center has closed after approximately three years at its location at 1630 S. Church St., Ste. 100.
