Gordon’s restaurant opened in February at 321 Sam Ridley Pkwy. in Smyrna. Formerly of Antioch, Gordon’s offers Smyrna residents traditional and regional fare, like Nashville hot chicken, along with healthier dishes.
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Slick Pig Smyrna edition has reopened. The restaurant opened as the first franchise in a burgeoning chain, but it shuttered a few months ago because of a “partnership dispute.” It will now be run as a company restaurant, Murfreesboro store manager Matt Nelson said.
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The former Logan’s Roadhouse building on Broad Street has a new lease on life as Red Crab Juicy Seafood.

The Florida-based company confirmed that the seafood restaurant is slated to open in late spring/early summer, company marketing director Thomas Wong reported last month. To be located at 740 NW Broad St., Red Crab specializes in “the best Cajun seafood boil you’ve ever had,” its website said. Challenge accepted!
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Hungry Bear Cheesesteaks and Wings, 2830 Middle Tennessee Blvd., will serve authentic Philly cheesesteaks, co-owner Vince Lanni said.

Set to open in early March, Lanni said he’s ordering the Cheez Whiz and traditional hoagie rolls so they can serve the iconic sandwiches just like it’s done in Philadelphia. Lanni’s business partner Curtis Deckman plans to bring his experience running Wing Stops to the business that will also serve chicken wings.
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Eagleville School Principal Bill Tollett decided to parlay his 30 years of experience in education into the restaurant business. Tollett announced his retirement from Eagleville School and plans to open Coach T’s All-American Grill by Aug. 1 in the southern Rutherford County town.

“I’m just following my dream to open a restaurant. I’ve literally talked about it for over 10 years—‘one of these days, one of these days,’” Tollett told a reporter last month.

Coach T’s All-American Grill will be Eagleville’s third restaurant. It currently boasts Las Fiesta and Maple Street Grill, which relocated from Murfreesboro’s Square.

Tollett plans for Coach T’s to offer barbecue and burgers from its spot on Highway 99.
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Alternative Health Products has moved from is former home in Spring Hill to The Avenue Murfreesboro. Owner Linda Clark moved the business to Rutherford County after 12 years of operation in her previous spot. Visit the new store at 2615 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite 700, or find more at alternativehealthproductstn.com.
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In 2017, Strike & Spare renovated its long-time location on Broad Street. But in February 2020, the bowling alley announced it will be renovating and relocating to the former Sears space in Stones River Town Centre, 1720 Old Fort Pkwy.

The building at 941 N.W. Broad St. has been a bowling alley for 60 years. It started as a 24-lane alley (12 upstairs, 12 down). In the late 1960s, another 12 lanes were added upstairs.

But even after the remodel, the building still didn’t have enough room to do everything the company wanted.

“We started searching for new locations. We knew we weren’t leaving Murfreesboro. That was our number-one objective. The Murfreesboro location was the very first bowling center. We love the town and wanted to stay,” Strike & Spare General Manager Phillip Cox said.

The Sears space contains more than 52,000 square feet that will accommodate bowling, an arcade, 3D maze, virtual reality, bumper cars and a full-service restaurant.
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In addition to building the arts in Rutherford County, Carpe Artista is building itself. In late January, the nonprofit announced plans to renovate its two-story building at 101 Front St. in Smyrna into a coffee shop and music venue.

Ron Alley, Carpe Artista founder, said he plans to fully remodel the building to further the organization’s mission to encourage the visual, dramatic and musical arts in Rutherford County.

There will also be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 4 p.m. on March 12 for the new Carpe Artista Arts Academy, 1334 Hazelwood Dr., in Smyrna. The academy will offer art lessons for all ages.

Carpe Artista Academy will continue to provide “students and adults with artistic training, leadership development and community engagement opportunities that help creatives reach their full potential in character, calling, craft and community,” according to its website.

In other (somewhat related) news, Carpe Artista founding board member Susan Gulley was named director of cultural and heritage tourism at the Rutherford County Convention & Visitors Bureau. Gulley was chosen for the job after the unexpected death of Dr. Ginna Foster Cannon in December.

In this position, Gulley will use her extensive arts and culture background to drive tourism to Rutherford County’s cultural and heritage attractions and events. Gulley, an already active member of the arts community, will continue working with Rutherford County partners to pinpoint and incorporate tourism assets.
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Z’s Comic Lair has left Franklin Pike for the luster of Medical Center Parkway.

According to a Facebook post, the comic shop is moving to 2108 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite C. The new location is across the street from the new Racetrac Gas station and Krispy Kreme.
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Leemzsooq Bargain Store opened in February on Vine Street. The store sells electronics, home goods, baby products, tools, toys and more. The store is a family-owned business that started in an apartment, expanded to a garage and has now become a storefront in Murfreesboro. It’s open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. every day except Thursdays and Sundays.
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Sara Gosik, a graduate of the MTSU nutrition program, has been chosen to lead Middle Tennessee’s first medical nutrition consulting practice. Allison Nutrition Consultants is a 32-year-old nutrition practice of registered dietitians who use evidence-based traditional and complementary/alternative nutrition therapy and healing practices. Consultants provide a full range of services for individuals and families, including individual consultations, coaching, education, meal planning, meal preparation, shopping, eating out, workshops and more.

Gosik has been a practitioner with the company since 2016. She is an advocate of healing through whole foods who understands that each client requires an individual approach towards their health goals. Allison Nutrition is located at 567 Cason Ln., Suite A. Learn more by calling 615-861-9146.
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Hughston Clinic Orthopaedics has opened a Murfreesboro office at 2933 Medical Center Pkwy., Suite D. The company has numerous locations throughout the Southeast and offers joint replacement, sports medicine, imaging and physical therapy services. Find more at tn.hughston.com.
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Closings Corner

After a valiant effort at a comeback, Dog Haus Biergarten closed its doors on Jan 31.

The restaurant closed unexpectedly in August 2018, leaving staff in the lurch. Dog Haus corporate picked up the tab and hot dogs started flowing again. But it wasn’t to last.

The Pie Five has closed its Smyrna location, which isn’t that surprising. The company has been retracting since 2017, just a year after the Smyrna pizza joint opened.

The Fresko Grilled Sandwich Shop on Saint Andrews closed in late January.

“We trust God that when one door closes another one opens,” read a sign posted on the locked Fresko door.