Grilled Cheeserie – Brick & Mortor? YES!

A Nashville Business Journal Business Article 
Adam Sichko Senior Reporter Nashville Business Journal

The Grilled Cheeserie, a nationally acclaimed food truck in Nashville known for its artisanal grilled-cheese sandwiches, is opening its first restaurant — in Hillsboro Village.

What’s more, the business now has a new co-owner: Fresh Hospitality Group, the rapidly growing restaurant company with at least 14 concepts in its portfolio mainly targeted at the emerging “fast-casual” aspect of American dining.

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The Grilled Cheeserie, a popular food truck in Nashville, will open its first restaurant… more

The Grilled Cheeserie will open this fall in restauranteur Randy Rayburn‘s former Sunset Grill location, at 1801 20th Ave. S. Fresh Hospitality bought the building from Rayburn one year ago, for $2.7 million, and announced plans to install as many as three concepts in the building.

The Grilled Cheeserie has been featured on Food Network and The Cooking Channel — and ranked as the seventh-best food truck in America last year, as rated by The Daily Meal, a national food-and-drink website. Husband-and-wife Joseph Bogan and Crystal DeLuna Bogan founded the business after moving to Nashville from Los Angeles.

Most of Fresh Hospitality’s portfolio aren’t concepts developed in-house, but growing businesses that drew their attention. Such was the case with another food-truck-to-restaurant evolution, Biscuit Love, which opened a location in the Gulch in January 2015.

Fresh Hospitality almost always takes majority ownership in its deals. That’s not the case here: Fresh Hospitality now owns half of The Grilled Cheeserie business, said Matt Bodnar, a partner with Fresh.

Tabitha Ong Tune, a spokeswoman representing both parties, confirmed The Grilled Cheeserie expansion on Tuesday. She said more information would be released next month.

Nashville – Charlotte Avenue’s OneCity – Starwood hotel

Charlotte Avenue’s OneCity lands “eco-savvy” Starwood hotel

Adam Sichko Senior Reporter Nashville Business Journal

The OneCity development on Charlotte Avenue has landed a 169-room hotel from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

The addition of the hotel is another jolt of momentum for the $400 million OneCity project, which is one of the largest mixed-use developments driving the revitalization of Charlotte Avenue, a major corridor into downtown and a likely place for the city to expand its mass transit (if that ever comes about).
This rendering shows the 169-room Element Nashville West End, a forthcoming hotel in the OneCity development at 3001 Charlotte Ave.
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This rendering shows the 169-room Element Nashville West End, a forthcoming hotel in the… more

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The forthcoming Element hotel, which Starwood (NYSE: HOT) markets as ” eco-savvy,” aligns with OneCity’s “mindful healthy living” branding. Its initial office tenants are health- and tech-focused, and food options include Avo, an eclectic restaurant centered on raw food and plant-based dishes, such as pizza with “sprouted crust topped with hemp mozzarella and seasonal local vegetables.”
Sponsored by
People on the Move
R. Davis Mello
R. Davis Mello
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Joey Ray
Joey Ray
The Nashville Union Station Hotel
Yale Miller
Yale Miller
Aegis Health Group
See More People on the Move

Wednesday’s hotel announcement underscores the fact that this year is a big one for construction within OneCity, which is spearheaded by Dallas-based developer Cambridge Holdings Inc. (the company is currently vying for what would be its second Nashville project). The hotel will be owned by an affiliate of Cambridge Holdings.

The hotel, named Element Nashville West End, is set to open in 2018. The hotel will include ground-floor retail space, including a restaurant, and will be located toward the front entrance of the development at 3001 Charlotte Ave.

The hotel deepens Starwood’s presence in Nashville — with 1,100 rooms in the pipeline (by my count, that’s the largest of any hotel company active in Nashville right now). That influx is coming at a time when Nashville remains the hottest growth market in the hotel business, seizing an ever-greater role fueling Nashville’s real estate boom. Demand from record crowds of tourists, surging business travel and convention bookings is far outstripping supply.

As far as Starwood goes, a $120 million, 27-story Westin is under construction in SoBro. It’s just a few blocks from the site where a separate developer plans a $100 million, 300-room hotel that’s part of The Luxury Collection, another Starwood brand. Also, Starwood plans to debut its new Tribute Portfolio brand in a building at the corner of Church Street and Fourth Avenue North. And finally, as we’ve reported, local investors are in talks with Starwood to open a luxury W Hotel in the Gulch, which would have 250 rooms.

There are 20 Element hotels worldwide, including in 14 U.S. states and China, the Netherlands, Canada and Germany. Starwood said Element promotes health with design that maximizes the use of natural light, offers healthy-food options, and uses recycled materials throughout the hotel.

Full Article on The Nashville Business Journal 

Adam covers commercial real estate and manufacturing.