The white building with the red metal roof located at 7062 Bethel Road has been home to the White House, Goodlettsville and Greenbrier communities for more than 50 years. The store has had a number of owners over the years, but each one has made a point of keeping the feel of the old general store that has provided everything from groceries to animal feed to farm equipment repair supplies and a place for people to come together.
New owners Angie and Billy “Pappy” Blackmore are also keeping the old-time feel, but they have updated the offerings, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. Including the thick-cut bologna sandwiches that they have long been known for.
Long-time residents of the area, the Blackmores grew up going to community grocery stores and wanted to recreate the feeling that they knew from their past experiences. They want it to become a place where locals can hang out, have some food, grab some groceries supplied partly by local farmers, and buy a gift made by a local small business artisan or maybe an antique.
Now called “Pappy’s Groceries, “over the last 15 years it has also been known as Jud Jones Grocery and, most recently, Early Bird Grocery Store. When Charity and J.R. Castleman owned the Early Bird Grocery Store; they cleaned it up after it had been left vacant for a number of years. They ran the store from early morning until 2:30 p.m. and were closed on Sundays, but the new owners will be open from 5:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 7:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sundays.
Originally built in 1934, the building has the look of a home. It has always been inviting, causing customers to linger. The new menu will certainly give them more reason to do just that. In the morning, Pappy’s will be offering breakfast biscuits with various combinations of cheese, sausage, steak, chicken, bacon and egg. And, of course, good old country biscuits and gravy. Burgers, sandwiches and quesadillas based on the beloved es Fernando recipe. The sandwich options include chicken salad, grilled cheese, ham, turkey, roast beef and clubs.
“The [es Fernando quesadillas] became famous when they created this special quesadilla, one with a red mild sauce and another with a green hot chili sauce,” Angie Blackmore told MainStreet Media. “There’s only two restaurants that have those, and that’s us and another restaurant in East Nashville.”
People frequently come by to tell stories of their memories about the place, like the one David Boyd Williams shared online, “My maternal great-grandfather and his wife owned it and ran it for a few years and lived in a room behind the store.”
Now Pappy’s Grocery hopes to create new memories and generate new, fond stories within the community.
