Elliston Place Soda Shop closes for restoration after institution changes hands

Lizzy Alfs | The Tennessean

A high-profile Nashville developer and longtime customer of Elliston Place Soda Shop has taken ownership of the Nashville institution and plans to restore it in the coming months.

Tony Giarratana, who is known for developing many downtown Nashville skyscrapers, purchased the 80-year-old soda shop at 2111 Elliston Place from owner Skip Bibb, who took over the restaurant in 2013. The restaurant was in danger of closing due to increasing rental rates, according to a media release.

The old-fashioned diner is now closed for an overhaul that will include menu upgrades and restoring the vivid red tile, stainless steel counters and vintage mini-juke boxes. It will reopen in 2020.

“Nashville would simply not be Nashville without Elliston Place Soda Shop,” Giarratana said in a statement. “It is a time machine; a living museum. I have been a loyal customer for years. When I recently heard from Skip Bibb that he was going to have to shutter the restaurant because of escalating rent, I told him I would try to buy it and refurbish it to its original classic style and provide necessary upgrades to the menu, décor and atmosphere.”

The goal is to reopen the restaurant in its existing location on Elliston Place pending successful rent negotiations with the landlord. Otherwise, the restaurant could be rebuilt at one of five nearby locations, the media release says.

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Real estate investor Jim Crossman owns the building, according to Nashville property records. Crossman couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

Giarratana tapped longtime Nashville restaurateur Randy Rayburn of Music City Consulting to help with a concept plan and menu upgrades at Elliston Place Soda Shop. Meanwhile, Inman Design will refabricate the kitchen and restaurant.

“This is a tremendous day for the Nashville restaurant community,” Rayburn said in a statement. “Tony Giarratana’s love affair with Elliston Place Soda Shop and Nashville has fueled his desire to be a steward of the restaurant’s future for Nashville going forward. Our team is thrilled to be involved in restoring the quality and historic integrity of this important landmark which can now be enjoyed for generations to come.”

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Employees of Elliston Place Soda Shop, including longtime general manager Linda Melton, will help reopen the restaurant.

Since 1939, Vanderbilt and Belmont students, businessmen, office workers and families have been going to Elliston Place Soda Shop for thick ice-cream milkshakes, pie loaded high with sticky meringue and Southern diner fare. The restaurant nearly closed in 2011 when the owners couldn’t afford the rent, but a last-minute lease renewal kept it up and running.

“I could not be happier that the Elliston Place Soda Shop torch has been passed to Tony,” Bibb said in a statement. “The first time I ever walked into the restaurant, Tony was eating a hamburger at the lunch counter. He loves this place and values our team and will make sure that our landmark is sustained for the future.”

Follow Elliston Place Soda Shop on Facebook for project updates.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at lalfs@tennessean.com or 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.