Hattie B’s founders Nick Bishop Sr. and Nick Bishop Jr. are a pair of really busy chicken-slingers. On Wednesday they were in Plano, Texas, celebrating the opening of their 17th location, and on Wednesday, June 24, they’ll swing the doors open at HB18 when they land in East Nashville at 1206 Gallatin Ave.
I spoke with them both a couple of weeks back, and they were extremely excited about the opportunity. Nick Jr. told me this newest outpost has been a long time coming.
“We’ve had opportunities in East Nashville many times before, but we wanted to do it in a way like we never have.”
He shares that Hattie B’s has had good success in suburban markets where they can become part of a neighborhood of families and other businesses. This location on the East Side fits that description well. The former laundromat is surrounded by a fairly dense neighborhood of residential homes, providing plenty of potential hot chicken customers and foot traffic. It also comes with a unique feature, a Quonset hut/hangar at the back of the property.
“When I saw that space in the back,” Nick Jr. recalls, “it immediately felt like a place for families to hang. So we’re going to have a putting green, bocce, pinball and pool. We want it to be comfortable and super casual.”
Nick Bishop Sr. and Nick Bishop Jr.
Hattie B’s doesn’t operate with cookie-cutter specifications for their locations. The Bishops have opened outposts in the former homes of other restaurants, in a casino food court, as a new build at Fifth + Broad, at the airport and at Geodis Park. So they’re not afraid to try new things that are appropriate to the neighborhood they are entering.
The main dining room in the former Coin Express Laundry will be more than 3,200 square feet, with seating for about 70 people. Additionally, a 1,400-square-foot patio between the two buildings will add even more space. The hangar space contributes another 2,500 square feet and 62 more seats, making this the largest Hattie B’s property in the Bishops’ hot chicken empire.
The property also features on-site parking (so you won’t have to sneak down from Publix), and the hangar has been purposefully remodeled to host sports watch parties and provide space for live neighborhood music and local events. Nick Jr. invites neighborhood groups who think they might need space to host events to reach out once the restaurant opens.
“We knew there would come a time when we wanted to bring Hattie B’s to this side of town, but we also knew we had to show up the right way,” says Nick Jr. “I think we've achieved that by opening with an incredible, experienced team. One of our managers is moving from our West Nashville location — he’s been with us since that restaurant, our second, opened 12 years ago. We’ve also built a unique communal space specifically designed for locals, families and neighbors to come together and hang out.”
There are several reasons why Hattie B’s waited so long to cross the river, and Nick Jr. told me that part of it was out of respect for the OGs of hot chicken like Bolton’s and Prince’s who have had a longtime presence in that part of town. After a dozen years and after so much population growth in the area, the Bishops finally feel like the time is right.
Nick Jr. says: “It is deeply meaningful to us to open another restaurant in our hometown. We're here to be good stewards of the hot chicken community and the vibrant East Nashville community.”
Operating hours will be Sunday through Thursday 10:45 a.m. until 10 p.m. and 10:45 a.m. until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Hattie B's 2026 charitable partner is The Busyhead Project, which receives $1 from every order of Shut the Cluck Up! sold. For more information, visit hattieb.com or follow Hattie B's on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
