Soul Nashville: Popular dining experience is expanding. Here's where
Faux flowers and brush to neon signs, flowing fountains and selfie-ready spaces. Aquariums. Themed booths. Karaoke and R&B jams of today and yesterday (live music Thursdays through Sundays).
And plenty of eats.
It’s the immersive dining experience John Smith envisioned when Soul Nashville opened in 2022. Smith, a longtime concert and festival promoter, wanted his new space on Charlotte Pike to earn a must-visit reputation with locals and tourists.
So far, so good.
Thousands of customers later, Smith is weeks away from opening two additional Soul locations.
Later this month, Soul Murfreesboro will debut at 2801 S. Rutherford Blvd. And by January, Antioch will launch a Soul venue at 2419 Edge O Lake Drive. Leases are signed at both locations, Smith said.
“I feel like I have a concept that’s working,” said Smith, a local product of Whites Creek High School and Tennessee State University. He previously promoted events at numerous Nashville venues, including Malibu, Music City Mix Factory, Oasis and Bridgestone Arena.
“Murfreesboro was demanding one. And of course, Antioch has a lot of people who lived downtown, but were displaced (because of increased cost of living). We’re bringing a location closer to them. And, hopefully, (in the future), we’ll be opening in Clarksville, too.”
The new locations are expected to mirror the Charlotte Pike venue. Its vast menu includes lamb chops, fried catfish, lobster ravioli and a selection of burgers, salads and pizzas. The ceiling is decorated with artsy umbrellas and bouquets of flowers — shades of red, pink, white. Artwork highlights shades of melanin.
The environment is a vibe, as the kids say. Instagramable. Full of sights, sounds, smells and motivational messages.
“LET YOUR Soul GLOW”
“Believe IN YOURSELF”
“GOOD FOOD GOOD MOOD”
“IT IS WELL WITH MY Soul”
“It’s definitely a dining experience that is designed to inspire and motivate,” said general manager Nichole Nunn, a Nashville native who helped design Soul. “Great food, great times and being with the ones that you love.
“We consider ourselves the celebration headquarters.”
Hours of operation at the location on 6317 Charlotte Pike: 11 a.m. to midnight on Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. On the weekend, brunch is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit soulnashville.com or call 615-813-7685.
Gary Estwick is the Business, Race and Culture editor at The Tennessean. The New Orleans native spends his free time exploring Nashville’s food scene and working off the calories thanks to paintball and boxing. Follow him on Twitter @garyestwick. Got a story idea? Email him at gestwick@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Soul Nashville adding 2 locations, considering a third venue
