Lizzy Alfs

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

Fast-growing Nashville restaurant group Fresh Hospitality is under contract to purchase a high-profile building in East Nashville.

The group plans to redevelop the flashy Hunters Custom Automotive buildings at 969 and 975 Main St. into a multi-concept space with more than half a dozen fast-casual restaurants in addition to retail uses, said J. Michael Bodnar of Fresh Hospitality.

The deal is expected to close in the summer, Bodnar said.

The news comes after Hunters Custom Automotive owner John L. Freund listed the entire Hunters campus for sale last year for $6.5 million. In November a partnership of two local personal injury lawyers purchased a Hunters commercial garage and adjacent parking lot at 974 and 978 Main St. for $1.2 million. That site is located across Main Street from the two Hunters automotive buildings that Fresh Hospitality plans to redevelop.

The buildings — noticeable for the sparkly red and yellow “Hunters” sign and bright red garage doors — are situated at the intersection of Main Street and North 10th Street and less than two blocks from East Nashville’s thriving Five Points neighborhood.

According to marketing materials, the building at 975 Main St. is roughly 22,000 square feet and sits on 0.51 acres. The adjacent 5,000-square-foot building at 969 Main St. is on 0.67 acres.

Fresh Hospitality has been on an explosive growth trajectory, showing no signs of slowing anytime soon. The company’s mission is to help entrepreneurs grow by providing financial and intellectual capital to growing food businesses, according to its website.

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Restaurant concepts under the group’s umbrella include Biscuit Love, Big Bad Breakfast, Cochon Butcher, Collo Rosso, I Love Juice Bar, Tellini’s Italiano, Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, Little Donkey, Octane Coffee Bar, Taziki’s, Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop, Vui’s Kitchen and Panini Pete’s Cafe & Market.

Other local projects in the works for the company include redeveloping the former Sunset Grill building at 2001 Belcourt Ave. in Hillsboro Village into a multi-concept space with The Grilled Cheeserie and Biscuit Love. Fresh Hospitality purchased the site last year for $2.7 million after Sunset Grill closed.

In December Fresh Hospitality bought the 30,000-square-foot downtown building at 221 Fifth Ave. N. formerly occupied by Dollar General for $3.4 million. The group plans to put a restaurant on the building's ground floor.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.

Grilled Cheeserie and Biscuit Love together under 1 roof