NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Iconic Nashville restaurant Elliston Place Soda Shop will shut down for several months as it undergoes restoration work.
Developer Tony Giarratana says he wants to restore the “period-correct 1939 soda shop” and re-fabricate the kitchen and restaurant. That work includes the red tile, stainless steel counters and vintage mini-juke boxes.
The restaurant – which is on the National Register of Historic Places – is set to reopen in 2020.
According to a release, Giarratana wants to re-open the restaurant in its current location but that “hinges on successful rent negotiations.” If they’re not able to strike a deal with the property owner, Giarratana says it will be rebuilt at one of five possible Elliston Place locations “very close to the original.”
“Nashville would simply not be Nashville without Elliston Place Soda Shop,” said Giarratana. “It is a time machine; a living museum. I have been a loyal customer for years. When I recently heard from Skip Bibb that he was going to have to shutter the restaurant because of escalating rent, I told him I would try to buy it and refurbish it to its original classic style and provide necessary upgrades to the menu, décor and atmosphere.”
Giarratana Restaurant Group LLC bought Elliston Place Soda Shop from owner Skip Bibb, who had purchased and saved it from closure in 2013.
You can follow updates on their progress on their Facebook page.
