Flavors from Puerto Rico and Cuba have parked in downtown Murfreesboro. Empanada Sonata, which started as a food truck, has opened on 211 West Main Street (in the former home of Nick Newton’s and Spinelli’s). The food comes from owner Marlyse Moran’s childhood days of holding onto her mother’s apron strings and learning the ways of the kitchen.
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After selling it to Nashville-based Bangkokville, the owners of Far East Cafe are resuming ownership and operation the restaurant near MTSU, and will bring back the original menu and flavors as well.
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El Guache Ice Cream Shop, a Mexican ice cream and paletas shop, has opened next to Mi Patria on Stones River Mall Boulevard. The shop offers mangonadas, fruits, drinks, chicharrones, milkshakes, tortas, chocobananas and other sweet and spicy treats. See page 17 of the July issue of the Pulse for El Guache coupons.
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Nash Family Creamery opened a restaurant and store in Chapel Hill. Fourth-generation dairy farmer Cody Nash brought his skills from California to Chapel Hill, where he and his family make ice cream in small batches with high-quality ingredients in flavors such as Southern pecan and caramel corn. Take-home ice cream is available in pints and half gallon sizes.
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Panther Creek Brews will bring its beers to the people from a new taproom on West Main Street.

Members of the Mid-State Brew Crew, the Panther Creek team—J.T. Gowen, Jeremy Taylor and Melvin Stewart—first tried their hand at home brewing together in 2008. The three dudes with a beer and a dream have worked to realize Panther Creek for more than a decade.

“We started out on his porch,” Stewart said motioning to Taylor, “and upgraded to a garage. Now we’ll have this.”

The spot the boys have landed in is the former home of The Green Dragon Pub and Brewery in the old creamery at 714 W. Main St.

Over the years, they have developed their own style and recipes. They just needed a place to call home. To help build a following, Panther Creek has spent years brewing on contract at other craft facilities across Middle Tennessee. Last year they released Panther Scratch, a hoppy brown IPA, for wider distribution through a partnership with BrairScratch Brewing. They’ve also brewed batches at East Nashville Brew Works and Little Harpeth Brewing.

The newly remodeled taproom, which opened to the public with a grand opening on June 20, will now be open Thursdays through Saturdays.

Panther Creek has also recently released its new double IPA, Dedication, brewed in 20-barrel batches at Little Harpeth Brewing and only sold in cans.

Gowen explained that they named it Dedication because that’s what they’ve needed over the years to finally realize their dream.

Along with giving the Panther Creek treatment to the tap room, they will also be adding state-of-the-art brewing equipment in the bay behind the bar, which they hope to have up and running sometime in August, and will also soon release a new brew called Unity.

“We are here for the community. We want to be a part of the community,” Taylor said.
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Ascend Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union in Middle Tennessee, opened its newest location in early June in Murfreesboro. Located at 3250 Memorial Blvd., this location is Ascend’s 26th Middle Tennessee branch and its fourth in Murfreesboro. Members can visit the Memorial Boulevard location for a full suite of services, including checking and savings accounts, youth accounts, money market and certificate accounts, auto and recreational loans, credit cards, signature loans, signature line of credit loans and business accounts and loans.
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If you’re looking for a deal on new styles, Uptown Cheapskate opened on Old Fort Parkway near Planet Fitness. The shop is a trendy young adult fashion resale exchange, specializing in buying, selling and trading gently used clothing, shoes and accessory items. Learn more at uptowncheapskate.com/location/murfreesboro.
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Cracker Barrel announced it will be testing wine and beer at locations in Tennessee, Kentucky and Florida; both Murfreesboro locations are on the list. Cracker Barrel’s drink menu includes beer and wine along with orange and strawberry mimosas. Looks like they are trying to get a piece of the brunch action.

I’ll bet a strawberry mimosa will pair well with pancakes.
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The Tennessee Valley Authority has approved the proposed merger between the Murfreesboro Electric Department and Middle Tennessee Electric in early June. TVA’s regulatory review and approval was the last step needed to finalize the merger. The regulatory review process was required to determine if the transaction created value for all ratepayers, since TVA supplies wholesale electric power to both not-for-profit distributors and has oversight over such transactions.

MTE will pay $245 million for MED. With interest, the total payment will be $302 million over the course of 15 years.
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National chain Pier 1 Imports announced it was seeking court approval to close all of its stores. The retailer filed for Chapter 11 protection back in February. The news isn’t surprising following announcements from Bath & Body Works, Signet Jewelers, Gap, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, Chico’s, JCPenney, Macy’s, Express, Nordstrom, Forever 21, New York & Co., GameStop, Logan’s Roadhouse and a host of other national names expecting closures in the near future.
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Uncle Bud’s announced that it is closing its Murfreesboro location.

“It has been a tough three or four months for all of us. We have struggled with a limited capacity dining room and staffing during this crisis. We haven’t been able to operate at the level we all expect here at Uncle Bud’s,” a Facebook post announcing the closing said.

The post recommended Uncle Bud’s Donelson location at 2719 Old Lebanon Rd., Nashville, for catfish and fixins.