As first reported in the Nashville Post, J&J’s Market and Cafe — the venerable old-school retailer known for its combination of teas, craft beer, cigars and specialty chocolates — will close at year’s end to make way for a Vanderbilt University student housing project.
Similarly, Midtown Gallery Framers and Local Color, which share the building with the market/cafe, will close.
The closings and razing are not unexpected — as VU paid $13.5 million for the property in 2016. At the time, the university also acquired the buildings once home to Noshville and Manuel. The former was recently demolished, with the latter slated for a future razing (though Vanderbilt is offering the building free to anybody who will move it).
Sam Huh, J&J’s owner for the past 16 years, could not be reached for comment regarding whether he might reopen the business in an alternate location. A Facebook posting notes the following (edited for brevity):
"First of all, we give appreciation to our community who poured out lots of love on us. Please receive our warmest grateful heart wherever you are. We give thanks to all of our vendors who helped us to sell proudly their best-quality products. We definitely cannot forget to give thanks to all of the JJ staff. We worked as a family and held fast to integrity, consistency and confidence. Old tarnished tables and chairs cherish your stories. Your laughter, your talk, your passion and your effort are still alive here. Thank all of you who have loved JJ's Market & Cafe since 1971."
The J&J’s and Midtown Gallery address is 1912 Broadway. The other parcels are located at 1918 and 1922 Broadway. The three sites span a collective 0.98 acres.
Opened in 1971 as a small grocery store (as reported by thebluegrasssituation.com), J&J’s was once owned by the Choi family. It is known, in part, for its rustic chairs and couches, and offers various board games.
Margaret Emley, VU director of real estate, said the graduate and professional student housing project is slated to break ground in early 2020 and to open in fall 2021.
"Vanderbilt is currently assessing development structures," she said of future designs and land-planning efforts.
The project is part of Vanderbilt’s 30-year land use initiative FutureVU, which "guides an intentional integration of diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, connectivity and community enhancement" into the university's capital projects and campus development.
Emley said J&J's and Midtown Gallery have "played a key role" in Midtown and will be missed.
“J.J.’s Market has been a regular gathering spot for Vanderbilt students, so this chapter comes with mixed emotions," she said. "But as we move ahead with these changes, we look forward to an environment of positive engagement for our graduate and professional students as we develop housing that is inclusive, sustainable and affordable.”
Midtown Gallery Framers is expected to relocate after closing by Dec. 31, according to a source.
Brooke Robinson, Local Color owner, said she will close her business. A thank-you sale will start on Black Friday and run through Dec. 8, the last day of business, she said.
Open for 28 years, Local Color focuses on representing Nashville-area visual artists.
Local real estate investor Ardavan Afrakhteh, president of Land Development.com Inc., sold to VU two years ago. Prior to that, he considered a 25-story mixed-use building (read here) on the site.
