East Nashville’s share of fabulous hair is about to be on a serious upswing, based on the recent spate of new salons opening here. Lots more beyond good looks happening, too, from good tastes to good health
and more.
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
Among the new salons joining the East Nashville landscape: Darling Salon & Blow Out Bar, now open at the new The Eastland development, 1049 West Eastland.
Stylist/makeup artist Laura Beth Boles helms Darling, coming East Nashville’s way after stints in over-the-river climes (like Green Hills). She and her team are offering a variety of salon services for both men and women in the new place, from the titular blowouts to cuts, color, makeup, and
brow shaping.
They’re open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 to 4 on Saturdays. Find more/book your appointment online at darlingsalon.com.
A name that’ll be familiar to longtime East Siders brought a new salon brand to the East Nashville hair-care game recently, too. Jeff Gensemer — leader of Studio Green Organic Salon here from 2010 to 2014 — teamed up with business partner/former Deer Willow Salon head Tara Lexx Hampton to launch Wild Sage Salon and Makeup Boutique, at 914-A
Woodland St.
Like both Gensemer’s and Hampton’s previous businesses, Wild Sage has a focus on “greener, more healthy alternatives to hair care and color,” Gensemer says, with vegan, ammonia-free products.
“We had a vision for a healthier way of beauty care in the industry and are excited to bring it to life,” Gensemer told us in advance of the shop’s grand opening in early December.
Hours at Wild Sage are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and you can grab more info at facebook.com/wildsagesalon.
Another familiar East Nashville name, Jaiya Rose of Good Sister Bad Sister, is back in action there, too, offering makeup services (from general to bridal to theatrical) out of a space in the same building as Wild Sage, under the name Makeup Ninja Studio and Boutique.
Ninja hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. More at makeupninja.biz.
East Side gentlemen aren’t getting short shrift in the salon blitz: Nashville Beard and Barber, specifically geared toward men’s hair/beard care needs, opened in November at 726 Mcferrin Ave.
The new shop, led by business partners Kevin Hagewood and Eric Miller, offers more than your basic snip/sendoff, too — the vibe is a mix of old-fashioned barber shop and masculine spa. Think sharp and stylish cuts, steam towels, the option for a mini-facial, and tumbler of whiskey while you wait.
They’re open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 to 3 on Saturday, and you can learn more and/or book your appointments at nashvillebeardandbarber.com.
From another indulgence angle: The corner of Mcferrin and West Eastland, long home to Mas Tacos and The Pharmacy, got a cute new addition in the form of The Sweet Bean, a cozy place to grab retro candies, spin-your-own cotton candy, made-to-order Aeropress coffee, hot chocolate, and more.
The business is tucked in a little carriage house at 924 Mcferrin Ave. — homeowners Julia and Dave Carlson, who’ve been there for the better part of the decade, saw an opportunity to build “something for the community to do as a family” in their backyard, and bit by bit, turned opportunity
into reality.
The renovation of the main house helped spur the Bean’s rebirth — old wood got new life in the carriage house, helping to turn the little space into a refreshed “covered pavilion atmosphere,” Julia told us, where neighbors can pop in and indulge in a little sugar and caffeine.
Down the line, the Carlsons are hoping to complete the main house and move The Sweet Bean into the bigger space.
“We had to start somewhere,” Julia said, “and we figured, ‘Why not?’ ”
Hours at the Sweet Bean are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Learn more at thesweetbean.com.
Fitting way to follow Nashville Beard and Barber: Nashville Brain & Body, a new “comprehensive and innovative health care” business for adults and children, open now at 1601-C Riverside Drive (the former LAVA Home Design space near Pied Piper Eatery).
Treatments they offer there range from chiropractic and clinical neurology to acupuncture, but leader Dr. Melissa Brown Wenrich has a particular focus on pediatrics and pregnancy, so East Siders looking for prenatal and postnatal chiropractic might want to give a look.
If Dr. Brown Wenrich’s name sounds familiar: She’s not brand new to East Nashville — Nashville Center for Alternative Therapy visitors might’ve met her there, too.
For more info or to schedule a consultation: nashvillebrainandbody.com.
Related feeling-good follow-ups: We had a coming-soon heads up in a past issue for CrossFit East Nashville at 400 Davidson, Suite 410. They’re now up-and-going, with classes and open gym hours galore. Check out the rundown at crossfiteastnashville.com. Same goes for “float center and alternative therapy spa” Float Horizen: Doors are now open at 1012 Russell St., and East Siders in need of relaxation can book float sessions, salt therapy, harmonic meditation, and more. Info/scheduling at floathorizen.com.
Oh and hey: If by some wonder of 1996 somebody forces you to send a fax, you won’t have to head up to Madison anymore. East Nashville has a new UPS Store at 707 Main St. (across from GReKo Greek Street Food), and they’re doing all that good UPS stuff that they do, from packing and shipping and mailboxing. (They can handle all your large banner/poster/etc. needs, too.)
Hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
CLOSINGS & MOVES
A big goodbye on the East Nashville dining scene: Craft beer/hot dog hang The Hop Stop closed its doors in November after four years at 2909-B Gallatin Pike. Owner Jesse Hamilton told us that he felt the restaurant and bar’s time had just come.
“I always knew every business I opened is going to have a life cycle,” he said.
The business went on the market over the summer, Hamilton said, and meeting an interested group that he felt would “really bring some great new energy to the space and to the community” made the decision to move on and move forward feel like a positive one.
That group — Robyn Donnelly and Katie MacLachlan of business coaching company Crush it Harder — aims to get a new bar concept open in the space in 2018.
Hamilton remains at the helm of Riverside Village’s Village Pub & Beer Garden, and he said no changes are planned there.
Exiting East Nashville but not ending: fashion brand Any Old Iron. The Tennessean reported that owner/stylist/designer Andrew Clancey is moving his business to Cannery Row, so the space his boutique occupied, at 1627 Shelby Ave., is welcoming new blood.
In the works there, the paper reported: a new bike biz from Green Fleet Bicycle Shop’s Austin Bauman, called Shelby Ave. Bicycle Co., offering repairs and rentals and stocking bikes and accessories. (We should have more on that soon, at theeastnashvillian.com.)
A big bead change: Regular Idea Hatchery shoppers might’ve noticed that the Red Dog Beads sign is gone. In early December, longtime owner Dottie Landry retired after years of providing East Nashville crafters and artisans with all their bead-y ingredients.
The business, however, isn’t gone: It’s been reborn as Black Dog Beads, with RDB employee Kim Hussey at the helm. Same space (1108 Woodland St., Unit D), same excellent inventory for jewelry makers and crafters, new-but-similar name.
Black Dog Beads is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. all week; more at facebook.com/blackdogbeads.
Other small-but-big changes: Black Shag Vintage has expanded: They took over the engine bay at The Station, 1220 Gallatin Ave. So, same building, same address, just a larger space.
One short move to note: Hosse & Hosse Safe & Lock Co. shifted over to 914 Woodland Ave., from 918.
COMING SOON
Until the warm weather returns to Nashville, we’ll be thinking of Hawaii. Particularly since Kawai Poké Co. — aiming to bring “a taste of Hawaii to Music City” — is shooting to open its doors next spring, at 901 Woodland St., Ste. 105.
Chicago-bred chef Yev Mikhailov is captaining the kitchen at Kawai, and he’s planning to serve up lots of Hawaiian favorites, from poké bowls (made with raw, marinated fish, rice, and vegetables) to tropical breakfast bowls, baked goods, and more. Good news for local vegans: There’ll be ample options for you, too.
For early looks at what they’ll be serving up (and pretty, pretty pictures), check out Kawai Poké Co. on Instagram: @kawaipokeco.
A quick walk away from Kawai’s future space, one of East Nashville’s better-known food-scene names, Barista Parlor’s Andy Mumma, is working on another new business. This one, though: nothing edible. Mumma’s latest endeavor: 4 SPEED, a boutique car dealership, also aiming for a spring opening, at 946 Main St.
Don’t expect a sea of 6-year-old Camrys: 4 SPEED’s focus is restored hot rods and muscle cars, all hand-chosen, all thoroughly returned to their glory. Mumma told us he and collaborator/Gym 5 owner Adam Wright are expecting to have four to eight cars in the shop at any given time, plus a lot more to offer car enthusiasts and budding hot-rod aficionados.
“We are both car enthusiasts and wanted to create a space to hang and talk cars with other enthusiasts,” he said. “The dealership part is just a natural extension, so we can pay the bills and continue to have a hideaway.”
You can expect the style-forward aesthetics we see in Barista Parlor locations to flow through to 4 SPEED — it’ll “present like a very clean garage,” with a lounge, retail pit, photo prints display, and more. As things get moving, they hope to have a monthly show to spotlight cars, and inspire and inform car lovers, too.
“We hope it can be a space for not only folks who are way into cars but also for people who like muscle cars but don’t know where to go to learn more,” Mumma said, “. . . Maybe we can help guide them on what to buy and make some dreams come true.”
To follow along as things rev up, check out 4 SPEED on Instagram: @4SpeedShop.
With all those new hair salons, you might worry nails are getting left out. Worry not: “luxury nail salon” CURED Nails is shooting for a spring (if not sooner) opening at 813 Gallatin Ave.
Owners Mallory McIlwain and Melissa Bednarik “saw a void in Nashville for a salon where customer service and cleanliness mirrors the expectations of a luxury spa experience,” so they aim to fill it, offering a customizable menu of services for East Nashville fingers/toes.
To learn more/keep up with opening news: facebook.com/CUREDNails.
Just a little down Gallatin from CURED’s new space, New Orleans-bred coworking company Launch Pad is readying their own East Nashville place.
The Nashville Post reported that the company has a smallish coworking hub in the works (3,500 square feet, housing 40 or so folks in about a dozen offices) in the building that houses Divine Art Cafe, Chiro Nash, and other local businesses.
That’ll expand East Nashville coworking options for neighborhood entrepreneurs/solopreneurs/remote workers/etc. — other neighborhood spots include Sparkworks Union on East Trinity Lane and the new WeWork at 901 Woodland.