NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A time-honored Nashville restaurant reopened Tuesday for the first time in two weeks.
Silver Sands Cafe at Locklayer Street was forced to shut down earlier this month when Metro Codes learned a grease vent on the back of the restaurant was dangerously close to a new home next door.
We dug into the situation because the sudden closure raised many questions, such as how new construction was allowed so close in the first place.
When we made calls about it, we found out that the original vent — put in decades ago — extended over the property line. But before the 5,300 sq. ft. duplex was built at 935 Locklayer in the last year, the exhaust was never a problem. That lot has been vacant since the 1980s, according to property records.
"It could've been taken care of a long time ago, but when this whole situation started they said I was grandfathered in and I didn't have to move it," said Sophia Vaughan, the third-generation owner. "Why am I going to pay $9,700 to move it? Why would I? I can give that back to my community."
Silver Sands does predate Metro Codes' Mechanical Division, but a potentially hazardous building component that crosses a property line is not allowed in any case.
By the time the restaurant reopened Tuesday, the vent had been moved to the roof. Silver Sands worked with Elite Roofing on the project.
"We're not going nowhere. I'm going to fight for this," Vaughan said.
I reached out to Twenty LLC, the owner of the new house next to the restaurant. He said he offered multiple times to pay for the vent's relocation, but Silver Sands declined. He also claimed he offered to pay the restaurant for their lost revenue over the two-week closure. He said he wants to see both of their businesses thrive and is committed to listening to neighborhood concerns.
The city's stop-work order also resulted in the construction at 935 Locklayer to shut down for two weeks.
For 75 years, Silver Sands has served soul food staples for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are open Tuesday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
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