Community-centered cafe The Loading Dock has been closed since last spring after its lease ended at its original location. However, it announced this month in an Instagram post that it is moving forward with preparations in its new space at 904 Buchanan St.
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“We have hit some speed humps as we try and get this ball rolling but we’ve hit the proverbial interstate and now we’re flying!” the Instagram post stated.
Owner Juan Vega-Romero told What Now Nashville that they are awaiting permits to conduct some interior renovations to prep the 2,099-square-foot space for opening. As a result, an opening timeline remains unclear, though the cafe should reopen this year.
“Our timeline is Metro’s timeline,” Vega-Romero said. “As soon as a permit gets issued, we have our contractors ready to go.”
The new spot is larger than the old location at 2028A Lindell Ave, where The Loading Dock made its home since it opened in 2018. Vega-Romero said the location on Buchanan Street has a tall ceiling, open beams, concrete floors, a side patio and a front patio area.
“The new space is fantastic,” Vega-Romero said. “We loved our old little shop on Lindell, but this is a new spot with an old soul.”
The announcement comes after multiple challenges with finding a space and moving toward reopening. The team initially planned to move to a spot on Jefferson Street, but the lease never went through, forcing them to pivot to the space on Buchanan. Now, Vega-Romero is ready to get the space up and running and move forward.
“We can’t wait to dig ourselves into the community and start learning people’s names and finding out where we can help our neighbors the most,” Vega-Romero said.