This Thursday, Nov. 2, will be a momentous date for the Melrose neighborhood and the chicken community as Hattie B’s opens their third Nashville location in the building perched above Melrose at 2222 Eighth Ave. S. The former home of The Hook, this building was practically tailor-made for Hattie B’s. Co-founder Nick Bishop Jr. says, “It was pretty close to turnkey. We’ve made some cosmetic changes, but this was already a great spot for a restaurant.”
The kitchen space at The Hook was already pretty large, including a nice-sized walk-in cooler and a separate fridge for kegs, amenities that neither of the other two local Hattie B’s were lucky enough to start out with. Bishop says they have installed modern new electric fryers, a development that should allow for even greater consistency, especially considering the volume of chicken that they expect to travel from fryer to the service window.
Speaking of the service window, they have designed a smart operations path to get your order to the counter quickly, and saucing and finishing will take place immediately before plating, ensuring hot fresh chicken. It will also happen in full view of the customers, unlike other hot chicken spots that guard their secret processes like the ark of the covenant. Hattie B’s has ripped out the old Hook bar, but there will still be beer available to accompany your bird. And if you want another beer to help ease (or enhance) the burn, you can just walk up to the second of two cash registers to order without having to wait in the service line, which we can anticipate will wrap around the building.
In perhaps the biggest change from their other locations, Hattie B’s in Melrose is actually planning to have a walk-up window for carry-out order! You’ll be able to call ahead or order via the internet and park in one of the designated to-go spots for a quick grab-and-go. They are even considering experimenting with some services that will allow for optional geolocation of their customers so they can have their order ready as they pull up.
Parking could possibly be a bit of an issue, but there are a dozen or so spots behind the restaurant and the team is looking to rent another lot nearby to augment the available street parking. The front porch at the new Hattie B’s extends to an artificial grass patio with cornhole games, a concrete bar, benches and a specially designed outdoor TV that looks to be almost as big as the Megatron at Nissan Stadium. While management hopes that they can turn over tables quickly inside the restaurant through their service improvements, the outside is designed as a place for the whole family to hang out and enjoy watching the world drive by.
In addition to the Nashville locations, Hattie B’s will soon have or already has a presence in Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, but this new location could definitely prove to be the jewel in the crown. Drop by to check it out and share your impressions in the comments below.
Hattie B’s
2222 Eighth Ave. S.
