In April, McAlister's Deli closed its Brentwood Place restaurant at 330 Franklin Road after 20 years. It was a sandwich-and-sweet-tea counter you could be in and out of over a lunch hour. Every business that has opened or announced at the center since then is built to keep you there much longer. One is a bookstore with a cocktail bar. One is a hall with eight pickleball courts. A scratch-kitchen brunch spot is targeting mid-October, and a barbecue restaurant with a smoker porch is planned for the old McAlister's space.
These openings follow a plan. Here's how it fits together, and what's open when.
The Owner Said What It Planned To Do
Regency Centers Corporation bought Brentwood Place in March 2025. At the time, Williamson Source described a center of about 320,000 square feet, anchored by Nordstrom Rack, Total Wine and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods, and 95% leased. The acquisition release also pointed to "significant value-add opportunities through lease-up and remerchandising strategies" and said the center draws more than 4.3 million visitors a year.
Remerchandising is leasing-industry language for changing which kinds of tenants fill the storefronts. Andre Koleszar, Regency's managing director for the Southeast, said the company looked forward to "further enhancing its appeal and long-term value." About a year and a half later, the new names show what that has meant in practice. Each of them makes money by the hour you spend there.
Suite 250B Opens at 2 p.m. and Stays Open Until 10
The first new arrival was The Raven Book Lounge, a "boozy bookstore" in Suite 250B. Before it, that unit housed Mama D's, which closed in 2024. The Williamson Herald reported that hundreds of people came through on grand opening day, Saturday, April 18, with lines out the front door. The day also had six local author signings and vendor pop-ups.
Owner Danniele Reeves has lived in Williamson County for 16 years. She told the Herald the idea came after her husband died unexpectedly the year before, when she was working out what to do next. "I always loved bookstores, and I can go into a bookstore and spend hours," she said. On opening day the bar served mocktails because the liquor license hadn't come through yet. By the time of its Williamson, Inc. ribbon cutting, the license was in place and the bar was serving cocktails.
The hours tell you what kind of place it is. The Raven opens at 2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and closes at 9 p.m., or 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It's closed Mondays. The October calendar fills those afternoons and evenings:
- Wednesday, Oct. 7: Trivia, which runs on the first and third Wednesdays
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Open-mic poetry
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Book launch with Roger Thompson
- Sunday, Oct. 18: Author event with Holly Butler
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Trivia
"I just really want it to be a place where you can kind of be comfortable by yourself, you could come on a date, you could come with your group, you could meet people, or just come hang out and connect," Reeves said at the opening.
Eight Courts, Golf Simulators and a Tap Wall Down the Row
A bookstore built for lingering could be a one-off. Crush Yard, which opened next, suggests it isn't. The Tennessean reported its doors opening in mid-May after a construction delay pushed back the original date. Williamson, Inc. held its ribbon cutting on Monday, June 1. It has eight indoor pickleball courts, golf simulators that play year-round, a full-service restaurant, a sports bar and lounge, a self-serve tap wall, and a stage for local and regional music.
This is founder and CEO David Hack's third Crush Yard, after Charleston and Orlando. The Herald reported that the Brentwood location also brought Hack and his family to Tennessee. At the ceremony, Hack said the place is "all about fun, socialization and community." His wife, Jennifer, said Middle Tennessee was her eighth state and "this has been my smoothest transition."
Brentwood Mayor Nelson Andrews spoke at the ribbon cutting too, and his remarks show this opening had been a long time coming:
"I am so excited about David and his team being in here and doing this." The city of Brentwood has kept pickleball in the discussion for quite some time, Andrews said, so "having this addition to our community is fantastic."
The weekly schedule is set up for repeat visits. Crush Yard runs men's, women's and ladder leagues with weekly games and playoff championships, open to all skill levels. Local coverage lists daily open play, Beginner 101 sessions, group classes, private lessons, shot-specific clinics, Wednesday trivia with gift-card prizes, and karaoke nights. Weekday happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Over the summer, camps for ages 5 to 15 mixed pickleball with crafts, cornhole and board games.
Two Kitchens Still to Come, One Morning and One Smoker
The next two openings will fill in the hours The Raven and Crush Yard don't cover.
Big Bad Breakfast is John Currence's Southern breakfast and brunch restaurant. In an August interview with WhatNow Nashville, Currence said permitting delays had held up the Brentwood location and that the team was aiming for a mid-October opening. It will be the brand's fifth location in the greater Nashville area. As of early October, the restaurant's Brentwood page still says "Coming Soon!", so treat mid-October as a target, not a confirmed date. Williamson Source's announcement listed house-cured bacon, skillet meals, fresh biscuits, and brunch drinks including Bloody Marys, mimosas and the Breakfast Dude.
Currence was direct about why he picked this center. "It's situated in a center that's full of activity. The parking lot stays full all the time, and I can't think of another neighborhood in town that would be more perfect for us," he told WhatNow.
Edley's Bar-B-Que is the planned tenant for the former McAlister's space. It will be the brand's 12th location, at about 3,800 square feet, and is expected to bring about 50 jobs. The project was on the Brentwood Planning Commission agenda on July 6 as a minor site plan alteration. The plans call for new paint, cladding, awnings, gray-painted brick with black accents, and a covered porch at the back of the building for the kitchen smoker. City staff recommended approval. Signage wasn't part of that approval and needs its own city review. The latest public word is still an opening by the end of the year. No newer timeline has been published since July.
Here's how the new tenants spread across a day, using published hours where they exist:
| Time of day | New tenant at 330 Franklin Road | Status as of Oct. 4, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast and brunch | Big Bad Breakfast | Targeting mid-October |
| Lunch and dinner | Edley's Bar-B-Que | Projected by end of 2026 |
| 2 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., Tue–Sun | The Raven Book Lounge | Open |
| Open play by day, happy hour 4–7 p.m. weekdays, leagues and trivia | Crush Yard | Open |
The space that used to hold one quick-lunch counter will be one of four places at this address built around a longer visit.
Up Old Hickory, the Same Idea at Seven Springs
The pattern reaches beyond one parking lot. On May 7, HoneyFire Barbeque opened at The Shops at Seven Springs, 710 Old Hickory Boulevard, with seating for 200 inside and on a covered patio. Owner Ben Claybaker called it the brand's largest restaurant. The Brentwood location added an expanded bourbon bar and bourbon lockers that regulars can rent. A rented locker only makes sense if you plan to come back, and come back often.
If Edley's opens on its end-of-year schedule, Brentwood will have gained two barbecue restaurants in 2026, both built for sitting down. For a longer view of how this part of town fits together, our Brentwood neighborhood guide covers the areas around both centers.
Part of settling into Brentwood is finding your own weeknight places, like a trivia night, a league, or a Saturday brunch table. When Misty helps a family relocate, she passes along local tips like these along with the utilities setup and the moving schedule. If you're moving here for work and want someone local handling both the house and the first weeks after, ReLo Nash can help. Book your relocation consultation.
