By Allie Phillips
HERMITAGE,
Tenn. – Hadley's Southern Kitchen, located at 4700 Lebanon Pike, opened for the
first time in the Hermitage area on Nov. 10, celebrating its spin on
fast-casual dining and bringing a taste of home to the city.
Tom Hammond, the owner of Hadley's,
was born and raised in the South and grew up eating Southern comfort foods like
cornbread, white beans, pork tenderloin, and fresh-baked pecan pies. He later became an entrepreneur, traveling the
southern United States. He continued to be drawn to local restaurants that
offered the same kinds of Southern foods that he grew up on. The amazing flavors of the food and the
friendly atmosphere the South is known for made such an impression on Hammond
that he came up with the idea for a fast-casual restaurant that features the
best of both.
Hammond came up with the slogan,
"Where Food Still Tastes Like Home." The Hadley's restaurant name actually
came from a cow that Hammond raised when he was only 10 years old while living
on a dairy farm in West Tennessee.
Marketing Manager Tensel Burke and
General Manager Chris Thomson are key members of the restaurant's team. They
opened the restaurant in Hermitage because they were looking for a location
with busy customer traffic and limited competition. They said they hope to open
more restaurants in other Nashville neighborhoods. Before choosing Hermitage,
they considered Hendersonville, Bellevue and Mt. Juliet. Those areas did not
offer the ideal business ingredients for a restaurant specializing in Southern-style cooking.
According to Burke, the difference
between Hadley's and other fast-casual restaurants is that Hadley's is all
about hospitality and high-quality Southern fare. A friendly staff greets diners when they walk
through the door. The menu is affordable to the average diner, and the focus is
more on food quality than how fast a meal can be served to a customer. The chefs make sure every food item is cooked
to perfection. Executive chef Fred Pierson has
developed most of the recipes, aside from the family recipes that were taken from the
Hammond family like green beans, deviled eggs, etc.
Meals are delivered to individual
tables, but customers prepare their own drinks and condiments. Tipping is not
required. The staff's goal is to appeal to everyone, letting them know what
authentic Southern cooking is really all about.
One of the most famous dishes they
serve is the Corn Bread Bowl. Diners get the option of filling it
with Tennessee white beans, homemade vegetable soup, any Southern side,
Louisiana chicken gumbo, Texas chili and cheese, or Louisiana shrimp
gumbo. All of these food items are under $10. Another popular dish is the Crispy
Dill-Dipped Chicken Sandwich, which is breaded with a signature recipe and
served with lettuce, pickle and Hadley's sauce on a toasted bun.
The general manager gave three tips on how to successfully run a restaurant.
"We place a lot of emphasis on
company values," Thomson said. "It sends a message through your
employees what needs to be important to you everyday. We also want to give back to the communities
that we're in. Obviously, the customer
is always first. Lastly, recruiting a
good team is essential. But the values
are the most important part.”
He also went on to discuss what he
will do as a general manager to make sure guests are happy.
“We talk and listen to them, and if
they have criticism, we own up to our mistakes and fix them," Thomson
continued. "We want to respond to every guest, whether it's over the
phone, in person, or online.”
Hammond doesn't want his restaurant
to be considered a typical meat-and-three.
“The proof is in the pudding,"
he said. "We offer something different.
To us, it isn't about the money that comes in. It's about the guests
leaving happy. Quality speaks.”
To help celebrate its opening, the
restaurant hired WSM-AM talk show host Bill Cody to air live reports and give
away prizes. Ads were run in the local newspaper. The good promotion helped make grand opening
week a big success.
For more information about Hadley's
Southern Kitchen, visit www.Facebook.com/HadleysSouthernKitchen or the eatery's website at www.hadleyssouthernkitchen.com.
Diners may contact the restaurant by phone at (615) 739-6622. The restaurant is open daily from 6:30 a.m.
to 9 p.m. at 4700 Lebanon Pike in the Oakwood Commons Shopping Center.
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