A new cocktail bar, Verna, will be coming to Midtown at 210 Louise Ave. The building was formerly occupied by Cafe Coco, which closed last year after a two-decade run.
Verna Hospitality, made up of co-owners Beau Gaultier, Connor Bloem and Daniel Gorman, will be bringing the new concept to life. Verna will be an all-day cafe and bar featuring both indoor and outdoor patio spaces. Verna will occupy the front of the building, while another concept led by the same ownership team, Connie’s Upscale Dive, will occupy the back of the building.
“We’re trying to stick to the same clientele that was being served by Cafe Coco,” Gaultier told the Nashville Business Journal. “There are a lot of people who live in that area who lost a thing. We want to make sure that we can add something for that customer if they’re interested in trying it.”
Though they will share the space, Verna and Connie’s will be different concepts. Connie’s will be a dive bar and venue space that serves classic cocktails, beer and wine.
Verna, on the other hand, is part-cocktail bar, part-cafe. Verna’s menu will pull inspiration from Gaultier’s Louisiana background and his love for Japanese cuisine. Items will include toasts, bowls, salads and sandwiches, including a miso salmon toast and a classic gumbo dish. Verna will also serve specialty cocktails.
Gaultier also owns izakaya cocktail bar Bay 6, which opened in 2022 at The Wash in East Nashville.
Verna and Connie’s are expected to open by the end of this year.
