The Puckett’s Love Initiative is a program from A. Marshall Hospitality that provides free meals to thousands of children through partnerships with organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Tennessee, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Smoky Mountains, the City of Hendersonville Parks & Recreation Program and Cullman Agriplex.
In June, Puckett’s placed a specific emphasis on supporting the hospitality industry by raising money for The Big Table, a nonprofit that offers safety-net relief for restaurant and hospitality workers facing unexpected difficulties. They raised money by donating $1 from every qualifying item sold at participating A. Marshall Hospitality restaurants, including Puckett's Cinnamon Roll Skillet and Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding, Scout's Pub Rolls and Deacon's New South’s Parker House Rolls.
This is a particularly important time to support The Big Table, not only because the requests for assistance keep growing, but because the organization is based in Spokane, Wash. — an area that has been ravaged by wildfires in the past month. At a recent event celebrating the accomplishments of the Puckett’s Love Initiative, Puckett’s and A. Marshall Hospitality presented Big Table Nashville with a $2,235 donation from all those dollar donations. The team also celebrated the broader community impact of Puckett’s, including its Feed the Kids program, which has provided more than 2,000 hot meals to children so far this year.
"The communities we serve have supported our restaurants for years, and Puckett's Love is one way we can give back," says Claire Crowell, president of A. Marshall Hospitality. "Whether it's helping a hospitality worker navigate a difficult season or providing meals for children during the summer months, we're proud to support organizations that care for our neighbors when they need it most."
In other A. Marshall news, Claire Crowell will transition from president to CEO on Sept. 1 as her father Andy Marshall focuses on his new position as Williamson County mayor after his victory in the recent election.
Nicoletto's pasta
Another family business has some great news to share. Ryan and Danny Nicoletto have recently announced plans to open their newest pasta emporium in Mt. Juliet. Coming this fall to 11324 Lebanon Road, the third location of Nicoletto’s Pasta Co. will be the brothers’ first foray into Wilson County.
Future customers can expect the same fresh small-batch bronze-cut pastas, housemade sauces, and Italian beef and sausage-and-pepper heroes that are available at the East Nashville and Donelson locations. They will also offer a full coffee and espresso bar, alongside local beer and wine options. The new location will occupy about 3,000 square feet, and will employ 15 to 20 people.
If you can’t make it by one of their physical locations, Nicoletto’s artisan dried pastas and sauces can now be found in 500 stores nationwide, with a large launch into regional Kroger stores planned for September. It’s great to see this sort of growth from a local, independent family business.
