The East Nashville commercial building once home to neighborhood pizzeria Italia Pizza & Pasta has sold for $2.05 million, with the new owner planning a bar, restaurant and their retail business for the structure.
A partnership that includes Laura Lemon and Evan Lenoir, the founders and husband-and-wife team behind East Side cosmetics, beauty and wellness retailer Lemon Laine, now own the Lockeland Springs property, located at 1600 Woodland St.
The seller was Salem Elkhatib, who also owned the recently closed Italia.
Lenoir, who represents the partnership, said details will soon be released regarding the future bar, which will operate from the building’s second-level space. The space last home to Italia is slated to be home to a restaurant, while Lemon Laine will take a long-empty corner space.
Lemon and Lenoir plan to relocate their 2017-opened retail business from 1900 Eastland Ave. by year’s end. The couple also operates a Lemon Laine in Houston.
In addition to the ex-Italia building, the intersection of Woodland and 16th streets is home to restaurant Lockeland Table and boutique hotel Urban Cowboy.
“We are so excited to deepen our roots in East Nashville, where we live and chose to start our business and family,” Lemon and Lenoir said in the release. “We are honored to continue the hospitable legacy that Salem Elkhatib has helped foster with Italia Pizza & Pasta for many years. And we, like all our Lockeland Springs neighbors, are thankful for everything he has given the neighborhood.
“We look forward to calling Lockeland Table, Urban Cowboy and The Church at Lockeland Springs our neighbors.”
Italia opened in the early 2000s and was well known, in particular, for its gluten-free pizza.
James Moore, principal broker of Nashville-based Blue Iris Real Estate, represented Elkhatib. The buyers used no broker.
This article first ran via our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
