What This Story Is About
- Jack Cawthon, the founder of Jack’s Bar-B-Que and a longtime figure in Nashville’s restaurant and Lower Broadway communities, has died at 80.
Why It Matters
- Cawthon’s restaurant was a fixture on Lower Broadway for more than three decades. He is widely credited with helping shape the area’s neon-lit character and early revitalization.
For Context
- Jack’s Bar-B-Que sold its longtime Broadway building to the owners of Robert’s Western World in 2025. Cawthon said, at the time, he was confident the historic property would remain in good hands.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Jack Cawthon, founder of Jack’s Bar-B-Que, has died after a battle with cancer, the restaurant announced. He was 80.
Cawthon began his Nashville food business with a catering service in 1976.
He opened his first Jack’s Bar-B-Que location near First Avenue and Broadway in 1991 before moving the restaurant to 416A Broadway in 1994…