Audra and Nick Guidry have opened a number of restaurants over the course of their careers, so they’re not surprised when people compliment their food. After all, they’re known for being among the best bakers (her) and open-fire chefs (him) in the Southeast — Nick’s Instagram handle is @cookswithfire.
But something different has been happening over the past year.
“My wife and I talk about this pretty frequently,” Nick says. “It is almost odd, when we open something like the cocktail bar. Last week alone, I was thanked at least two dozen times. The hospitality world is so hard. It’s so tough, mentally, emotionally and physically. To open something and have people be thankful that you opened it and that you invested in the city, that’s really kind of rewarding.”
The latest batch of gratitude the couple received was for Olivia Craft Cocktail and Oyster Bar, which opened in Lebanon in late November. Olivia is named for the Guidrys’ daughter and has a vibe, like her, that’s both feminine and strong, Audra says. The bar joins the Guidrys’ portfolio of other restaurants and bars, including East Nashville’s Pelican & Pig and Slow Hand Coffee and Bakeshop next door, Slow Hand Bakehouse in Lebanon and Leon’s Famous Deli, which they own with a business partner in Mt. Juliet. They’ve been at work on Juniper, which will be located in downtown Lebanon, since 2022 (they think 2025 will be the year Juniper finally opens its doors), as well as some other projects that aren’t yet ready for public discussion.
The couple moved to Lebanon less than three years ago, looking for somewhere to raise their family. “Eating and drinking out is our hobby,” Audra explains — but when they got to Lebanon, they noticed there weren’t a lot of independent restaurants for their regular date nights. They didn’t have as many options for a good pastry and a cup of coffee as they had in Nashville.
“You should not have to drive 45 minutes to get those things,” Audra says.
Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell had noticed the same thing and could not agree more. When he took the oath of office in December 2020, he unveiled a plan that included attracting more restaurants to the suburb, which is 30 miles east of downtown Nashville.
“An essential part of that endeavor has been to encourage and assist local entrepreneurs,” Bell says. “This is everything from helping them find locations to creating an easy way to navigate through the permitting process and having an incentive package for our historic square.”
Bell and his wife previously had dined at Pelican & Pig and were excited about a restaurant of its caliber coming to Lebanon. “One restaurant would have been great,” Bell says. “I had no idea that they wanted to open multiple concepts. Slow Hand has been a huge hit. Olivia just opened and has quickly become a hot spot on our square. They are currently working on Juniper, which I am really excited about.”
Lebanon economic development director Sarah Haston notes that there are a few other independent restaurants both on the historic square and in the larger historic district, including a brewery, a sitdown restaurant with a bourbon bar, a tea house and several other salad and healthy-eating spots. Most have opened since 2019.
Audra uses the Slow Hand Bakehouse in Lebanon to prepare baked goods and pastries for all of their restaurants (the East Nashville Slow Hand doesn’t have room for all the equipment), and everything is then baked on site where it is served. Pastries are rustic, Audra says, in that they are not highly decorated cakes but more homestyle baked goods. Her biscuits, cinnamon rolls and sea salt chocolate chip cookies are particularly popular.
While the Guidrys have a reputation as flying under the radar, particularly compared to other independent restaurant owners, their work is hardly a secret. Pelican & Pig was featured on Netflix’s Somebody Feed Phil when the show came to Nashville in 2021. The restaurant is well-loved by folks in the neighborhood and recommended by Airbnb owners in the area, bringing in tourists as well as locals. Even though it opened in 2019, it still can be hard to nab a table. The early idea behind Pelican & Pig was a nod to their roots (Nick’s in Louisiana and Audra’s in Florida), with each of their culinary specialties.
Juniper will also be focused on Nick’s beloved open-fire cooking style, and will also feature seafood and handmade pastas. Maybe a pizza oven. “I think in Nick’s heart there’s always going to be some form of live fire,” Audra says. The space has exposed brick and a design that honors the building’s history.
The couple also co-owns Leon’s in Mt. Juliet with business partner Hunter Briley. Both Briley and Nick have Cajun roots — Briley’s grandfather is from Baton Rouge, La., and Nick is from New Orleans. The result is a New Orleans-esque lunch spot with muffuletta and other sandwiches, plus sandwich fixings served atop loaded fries. Nick had hoped to have pastrami on the Leon’s menu (and did so briefly), but the prep was too much for the small space. He did serve pastrami at a Pelican & Pig pop-up in 2024 and promises that’s not the last we’ll hear about pastrami from him. Bread for Leon’s po’boys is from Leidenheimer Bakery Co. in New Orleans. (Note: In late January, the Leon’s Famous Deli team announced their closure, citing complications with the location. The lack of street-facing signage and a street-facing view made the sandwich shop less visible than they had hoped.)
Slow Hand had been located on 10th Avenue South. When the landlord for that property sold, the Guidrys looked at other properties and saw the site that became Slow Hand Coffee and Bakeshop on Gallatin Avenue in East Nashville. The adjacent space was such a good deal, Audra says, they didn’t want to let it go, and that’s when Pelican & Pig came to be. At the time, Slow Hand was a little bit of an outlier in its location. Now Nick estimates there are more than 15 coffee shops in a one-mile radius.
Reflecting on such changes helps the couple imagine future projects. “You start thinking about, ‘What does the market need? What do I want to do for one, and two, what does the market need?’” says Nick. “And then you evaluate what, logistically, you can make money on. We’ve got a laundry list, probably of five to 10 different concepts we want to do. My brain is just constantly moving.”
