Pied Piper's Mambo Italiano, from the Scene's 2015 Food and Drink Issue
Pied Piper Eatery, the family-friendly diner that has been an East Nashville landmark for almost a decade, is closing.
The restaurant’s owners, the Piper family, announced on Facebook that the business’s last day is this Sunday, Feb. 18. They cited the 2015 death of the restaurant’s founder Becky Piper as a contributing factor to the closure: “As her family, we have done our best to honor her vision for her creation, but it was her heart that beat for this diner, this work. We've decided it's truly time to let her rest, and to honor her by following our own creative visions.”
The Pipers stressed that their other business, the highly regarded local ice cream shop Pied Piper Creamery — founded by Becky’s sister Jenny Piper — will continue.
The Pied Piper Eatery opened in late 2008, earning immediate affection from diners. It won multiple citations in the Scene’s Best of Nashville issues, including a Writer’s Choice for “Best Kids’ Restaurant for Grown-Ups.”
Back in a First Look at the diner in 2008, the Scene’s Carrington Fox noted: “Just looking around the colorful room — with its handmade tables topped with album covers — I couldn't help thinking what fun it must have been to grow up in a house with the Pipers, who just seem to ooze creativity and hospitality.”
In their statement, the Pipers urged people to stop by the eatery, at 1601 Riverside Drive, before it closes. Here is the full text:
It is with great mixed emotion that the Piper family must announce the closing of Pied Piper Eatery. The diner's last day of service will be Sunday February 18, 2018. Please come visit your favorite server, order your favorite entree (or salad, or sandwich, or breakfast, etc) while they last, and take a selfie or two. As many of you know, the Eatery's co-founder and owner Becky Piper passed away several years ago.As her family, we have done our best to honor her vision for her creation, but it was her heart that beat for this diner, this work. We've decided it's truly time to let her rest, and to honor her by following our own creative visions.
Thanks for nearly ten years of sharing your family celebrations, your hangover breakfasts, and your personal milestones with us. Don't worry, you can still enjoy a bit of that Piper crazy, as the Creamery is not going anywhere.
We had a good run, East Nashville. Thanks for going along for the ride.
