The venerable Bro's Cajun Cuisine on Charlotte Avenue is preparing to close for business after at 28-year run.
Darrell and Linda Breaux own both the restaurant and the West Nashville lot on which it stands. Darrell Breaux tells my Nashville Post colleague William Williams that the couple plan to sell the property, and will shut down the business once that deal is sealed.
The site, at 3214 Charlotte Ave., is up for sale for $2.975 million — that price is a measure of how hot real estate on the Charlotte corridor has become. Bro's has operated in various Nashville spots since it opened here in 1988, including Sylvan Park. It has been on Charlotte since 2003.
“Linda and I had considered putting the property on the market for about three years before we finally did,” Darrell Breaux says.
In addition to possessing a loyal customer base, Bro's won national publicity on an episode of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In addition to Cajun and Louisiana staples like gumbo, jambalaya and po'boys, Bro's serves a roster of barbecue items, including pulled pork. It's also a popular spot to pick up deep-fried turkeys for Thanksgiving.
Nashville-based McNiel and Co. Real Estate is handling the marketing and sale of the property, the Post's Williams reports. The property includes six parcels: a 0.4-acre commercial parcel and 0.6 acres zoned to accommodate residential infill and comprising five lots.
Tom McNiel, the real estate firm's principal broker, says there have been offers, but the property is not yet under contract. “It’s an attractive redevelopment site on the popular Charlotte Avenue corridor,” he says.
Breaux says he is dealing with some health issues that helped him decide to close the business, but added that he and his wife will miss their many loyal patrons. Bro’s originally started in 1975 in Lafayette, La.
“I’ve always said I have the best customers in the world,” he adds. “They have followed us to every location. That’s the hard part. We will miss them.”
Asked about the loss of one of the Nashville area's few Cajun restaurant, Breaux offers this comment:
“There are not many left in Louisiana, much less Nashville.”
