Hawaiian Bros will open a new restaurant at the Clari Park development at Medical Center Parkway and Willowoak Trail near the Whataburger. Hawaiian Bros offers authentic Hawaiian plate meals, which feature a rice base topped with marinated teriyaki, slow roasted pork and other meat options, and a side of macaroni salad, pineapple or potatoes.

One of the restaurant’s best-known items is the Spam Musubi, which features rice seared with Spam and glazed in teriyaki sauce, all wrapped in dried seaweed.

The menu is an homage to the Hawaiian plate lunch.

“In the 1880s, as Hawaii’s pineapple and sugar plantations grew, laborers from Asian nations with diverse culinary traditions came to the islands. Their lunches typically consisted of a plate of rice and leftover meat from the previous night’s meal,” according to Hawaiian Bros. “By the 1950s, the ‘plate lunch’ had grown in popularity and was popping up at roadside stands. Today, it remains an essential part of Hawaii’s homegrown culture.”

Visit hawaiianbros.com for the menu and more information.

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Scooter’s Coffee has unveiled plans to build a drive-thru coffee kiosk on South Church Street near I-24, just between the 7-Eleven and the interstate. Scooter’s was founded in 1998 in Nebraska, and is known for its premium coffees, smoothies and fresh-baked pastries.

Popular menu items include the Caramelicious, a blend of smooth espresso, caramel and frothy steamed milk, a fan favorite for those who enjoy sweet, indulgent drinks.

Scooter’s Signature Coffee Blends provide a rich, smooth flavor and consistency, giving customers the perfect balance of boldness and smoothness, while smoothies blended with real fruit and cold brews are great options for customers looking for something refreshing.

Scooter’s also offers a variety of baked goods including muffins, cookies and breakfast sandwiches. Visit scooterscoffee.com for more information.

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First Watch has opened a second Murfreesboro location in addition to its current location on Medical Center Parkway. The new breakfast restaurant is located at 2977 S. Church St. and features a variety of healthy meal and drink options made with fresh ingredients daily, as well as a brunch bar and a heated, covered patio.

First Watch is open from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Visit firstwatch.com for more details.

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Love’s Pizza has opened at 1728 W. Northfield Blvd. in the Kroger shopping center.

Specialty pizzas include the pepperoni suicide pizza, Nashville hot chicken, seven cheese, Jamaican, white, a steak, bacon and ranch pie; gyro feast, and the Love’s Special, with alfredo sauce, Cajun shrimp, chicken, spinach, parmesan and mozzarella.

Love’s also offers wings, calzones, salads, subs and extensive pasta and dessert menus.

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Schlotzsky’s plans to open its Murfreesboro restaurant, located at 4433 Veterans Pkwy., on Dec. 6.

Schlotzsky’s offers sandwiches, pizzas, flatbreads and salads. For more information or to place an order, visit schlotzskys.com.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill, the popular chain offering tacos, burritos, salads and bowls, has opened its new Murfreesboro location at 2963 S. Church St. near First Watch.

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Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has officially opened its third location in the Middle Tennessee area, with two previous locations in Smyrna and Nashville. The new chicken restaurant, located at 2420 Medical Center Pkwy., is open 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and offers a double drive-thru as well as a lobby for those interested in dining in. Find more information at raisingcanes.com.

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Toki House has opened at 5241 Veterans Pkwy. near Publix. The new restaurant serves poke bowls, sushi burritos, tuna, salmon, chicken, shrimp tempura and other options. Operating hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. For more information, visit tokihousemurfreesboro.kwickmenu.com.

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Music City Kartplex has opened at 3225 Hwy. 231 North in Shelbyville, just outside of Murfreesboro. The Kartplex features 2,600 feet of track for racing rental or owner karts, and provides the necessary safety equipment for those who don’t have their own. Some karts operate at speeds above 50 miles per hour, and can support up to 400 pounds.

“Music City Kartplex is excited to bring a premier outdoor motorsports entertainment complex to Tennessee. This 34-acre complex will welcome amateur and competitive kart racers alike,” according to information from the company. “Enjoy the thrill of high-speed kart racing!”

Music City Kartplex transformed the historic Twin Fountains Raceway at the site, breathing new life into a space that had been a part of Middle Tennessee’s racing history since 1997.

The Kartplex will launch a racing league in the spring of 2025 and its Kart Pro Shop offers a variety of parts, accessories and expert maintenance. At a half mile long, the circuit has multiple configurations, so every session provides a new and exciting experience. Phase two of the project, coming in 2026, will include an additional 0.9-mile competitive racing track, owner kart garages and a track-side restaurant, aiming to eventually host national-level competitions at the Middle Tennessee track.

Current hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 12 to 7 p.m., Friday from 12 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.. Visit musiccitykartplex.com for more information.

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Replay Toys has relocated from Memorial Boulevard to the Stones River Town Centre. The new location provides more wall and floor space, as well as a much larger parking area at the mall. The new store location is open Sunday 12 to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit facebook.com/replaytoysboro for more info.

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The QuikTrip Corporation has announced plans to open a new location on a 15-acre piece of land at Joe B. Jackson Parkway and Butler Drive, just across from Buc-ee’s. The QuikTrip kitchen offers burritos, sandwiches, ice cream and pizzas.

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7-Eleven has announced plans to open a convenience store and fuel center at Epps Mill Road and Capital Way, just off of I-24 Exit 89.

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Super 9 Wine and Spirits has opened at 3035 New Salem Hwy. with a wide variety of liquor, wine and beer.

Holiday sets are currently available. Follow Super 9 Wine and Spirits for information on featured brands and tasting events.
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The State of Tennessee announced in November that 18 Tennessee Main Street and Downtown communities, including Main Street Murfreesboro of Rutherford County, have received Downtown Improvement Grants.

“Tennessee’s downtown districts are the key focal points for cities and towns statewide and help to drive business, tourism and leisure,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “Congratulations to the communities receiving funding through the latest round of TNECD’s Downtown Improvement Grants. We look forward to seeing the continued prosperity our communities experience because of the economic growth these grants will bring.”

More than $4.76 million in Rural Economic Opportunity funding was awarded to improve structures in designated Tennessee Downtowns and Main Street communities. Grants were awarded to organizations that illustrated the need for improvements and the ability to execute an effective design plan for building facades, wayfinding signage, gateways and streetscapes. As part of the program, each new grant recipient must match 25% of the funding received.

“This is the first time Murfreesboro has applied for the Downtown Improvement grant and for us to receive the entire requested $300,000 for multiple building improvement projects in our historic downtown is something to be proud of,” said Sarah Callender, executive director of Main Street Murfreesboro. “Downtown property owners were given the opportunity to submit a pre-application to Main Street Murfreesboro. These requests helped build our case to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development to explain why we needed the Downtown Improvement grant. I guess we made a pretty good case!”

The grant funds will be allocated to the different property owners through Main Street Murfreesboro’s Design Committee. Projects must begin in 2025 and be completed by the beginning of 2027. All projects must involve exterior improvements to historical buildings downtown, maintaining the authenticity of the buildings to align with Main Street’s preservation initiatives.

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The Lily Grace Apartments, located at 600 Dusan Blvd., has announced plans to renovate after recently coming under new management, Castello Equity Partners. Visit lilygraceapartments.com for information on the Murfreesboro apartment complex.

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CLOSINGS

Dillard’s has announced that its Murfreesboro location at the Stones River Mall will close by the end of January. The recent announcement comes as the result of rising property rent prices despite having a place within the local mall since the 1990s.

While many Murfreesboro residents are sad to see the high-end department store coming to an end, Dillard’s has also announced that its other locations will remain open, and its current employees will be offered the opportunity to transfer to one of the other stores in the area.

Dillard’s cosmetic manager, Laurie Knowles, said that the company was unable to reach a lease agreement with mall management.

“We pay already an exorbitant amount in lease. But the mall wanted more,” she stated.

According to information from Avison Young, which has been attempting to sell the 146,000-square-foot retail property, Dillard’s has been paying $55,000 per month in base rent. Although Dillard’s did over $18 million in sales in fiscal year 2022, the company opted to vacate the building.

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Dirt Cheap’s parent company, Channel Control Merchants, has filed for bankruptcy after nearly 30 years, and will close all 68 outlets. While the company has not announced specific closing dates for all stores,  sales anticipating the closures have started to clear out existing inventory.

Dirt Cheap brands itself as an extreme value retailer, which provides major brand returns and excess inventory a second chance. The company is known for reselling overstock and liquidation merchandise from other retailers.

Officials with Dirt Cheap faulted Target for their troubles, claiming that the retail giant had given B-Stock Solutions, a Dirt Cheap competitor, better prices for higher quality merchandise on the secondary market. Target, Dirt Cheap’s foundational supplier, allegedly offered the discount retailer lower quality goods at a higher price.

Filings show that Dirt Cheap owes Target’s Salvage Department store nearly $16 million. Amazon is also owed roughly $5.5 million by the retailer, making bankruptcy the best solution for the company.

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The Tasting Room, located at 618 S. Lowry St. in the former Omni Hut building in Smyrna, has closed after just four years at the location.

Although some fans of the restaurant are sad to see it close, The Tasting Room will begin offering online cooking tutorials.

“We’ll be posting tutorials to help you recreate some of our special menu items at home,” The Tasting Room posted on its Facebook page. “We have fully enjoyed serving Smyrna and Rutherford County. Thank you to all of our customers for dining, drinking, and trying new and exciting flavors with us. This has been a fun journey for all of us, and we are sad to have to leave.”

For further information, visit thetastingroomtn.com.

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After Murfreesboro Axe closed in the summer, a November auction liquidated the remaining kitchen equipment in the 211 W. Main St. space “in preparation for a new restaurant opening in its place,” according to information from Sims Commercial Realtors and Auctioneers.