The Old Spaghetti Factory
Family restaurant · San Pedro Square ·
Traditional Italian chain with turn-of-the-century decor & comfort food
Traditional Italian chain with turn-of-the-century decor & comfort food
"After four decades as a downtown Nashville institution, the Old Spaghetti Factory — part of an international chain based in Portland, Oregon — was stunned last week when its landlord terminated the lease even though the restaurant held rights to the space through 2035, a blow that gutted locals. The restaurant had barely survived the destructive Christmas Day bombing and officials had reportedly planned a complete restoration, but the lease loss compounded the pain. I’m struck by how much the 56-member team meant to the community — some employees had worked more than 20 years, and district manager Todd Saxey described the hourly staff as a fun-loving, caring “family” who came to work ready to make others happy. People shared vivid, specific memories — sitting in the musty train car, first dates in canopy-bed tables, Velvet playing his guitar outside, the purple barber chair at the bar, virgin Coladas/daiquiris when they were kids, the Caboose, sausages and spumoni ice cream, and buying Mizithra cheese by the pound — and recalled it as an affordable, consistently good spot for school trips, date nights, pre-game hangs and nights out long before Second Avenue drew tourists. Officials say they are looking to reopen in a new Nashville space, but losing this particular location feels like a deeper cultural wound as the city continues to heal." - Eater
"The source of a childhood favorite: a plate of spaghetti coated in butter and topped with salty grated Greek Mizithra cheese, a nostalgic comfort dish that shaped the author’s early taste." - ByAlex Pemoulie
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