The building at 2407 12th Ave. S. during its former life as Katy K Designs
Jay Pennington, the restaurateur best known for12South's popular Urban Grub, is working to open another restaurant in the neighborhood. The new venture, which will focus on breakfast and lunch, is taking over the high-profile vacant building formerly held by pioneering 12South clothing store Katy K Designs and Ranch Dressing.
Pennington told Scene sister publication Nashville Post that he aims to open the new restaurant at 2407 12th Ave. S. by the end of the summer.
Urban Grub opened in 2012, dazzling the neighborhood with its striking exterior and its multiple indoor and outdoor dining spaces. The large menu features steaks, fresh fish, an oyster bar, house-made charcuterie and more. The splashy eclecticism was no surprise to followers of Pennington's career: In the 1990s he helped launch Bound'ry and South Street in Midtown. (His involvement with those restaurants ended in 2008.)
Pennington and the other owners of Urban Grub will own and operate the future eatery; the team is leasing the space.
The previous occupant of the building, Katy K Designs and Ranch Dressing, was a much-loved neighborhood institution that closed in May 2015. Proprietor Katy Kattelman, a designer who originally sold Western wear in Manhattan, had operated the shop since the early days of the 12South renaissance, nearly 20 years ago. In a Scene story about the closing, Kattelman recalled being robbed seven times in the business's early days, and finding crack cocaine remnants on the property. Before long, neighbors, performers and members Nashville's fashion community flocked to purchase the shop's wares, which included a separate collection of vintage apparel. But as 12South's popularity surged, Kattelman said she could no longer afford the rent, and shuttered the store.
As for the new restaurant, it's stirring keen anticipation. Pennington says the team is still working on a name for the eatery. Interior rehabbing is underway on the site, with Old Hickory-based Jay Howser Construction LLC overseeing the work. We'll let you know as more details emerge.
