NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After a slew of restaurant closures across Nashville surprised some residents, locals are wondering why small businesses are closing their doors.
Beloved establishments like The 404 Kitchen in The Gulch posted about their closure on OpenTable shortly after the start of the year. The restaurant served the community for more than 12 years. The SupperClub on Bellcourt also recently shut its doors.
Bishop Federick Barr, who’s been in the restaurant business for more than 20 years, said customers alone aren’t enough to make a profit. He would know — for 15 years, he was a hot dog vendor on Broadway. He opened Barr’s Soul Food at a location near Old Hickory Boulevard before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s still standing.
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Barr relied on catering, food trucks and additional revenue from his other businesses to help keep the restaurant running. Though the cost has come down some, it still isn’t enough. Barr said remembers paying $7,000 a month in rent on Broadway. Even though food is expensive, rent has kept climbing…