“On Christmas Day, December 25, 2020, a vehicle bomb detonated”

The Old Spaghetti Factory in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, was a popular restaurant and city landmark located on Second Avenue in the heart of the Lower Broadway entertainment district, known for its unique interior featuring a historic streetcar with seating inside, classic Italian‑American menu items such as spaghetti and meatballs and mizithra‑cheese‑topped dishes, and decades of welcoming locals and visitors alike to its lively atmosphere and affordable fare.

The Nashville location operated for more than 40 years and became a must‑stop destination during trips to the city. On Christmas Day, December 25, 2020, a vehicle bomb detonated on Second Avenue North in downtown Nashville, causing extensive damage to dozens of buildings on the block, injuring several people, and destroying the building that housed the Old Spaghetti Factory, among other businesses.

The explosion forced the closure of the restaurant and much of the surrounding street while emergency crews secured the scene and assessed structural damage. Although the Old Spaghetti Factory’s owners expressed willingness to invest in restoring the space and rebuilding, the property’s landlord terminated the restaurant’s lease after the bombing, and the Nashville location did not reopen in its original building.

The physical structure was left vacant and damaged even as downtown Second Avenue gradually reopened with improvements, and plans for redevelopment of the site are underway as the city continues to recover from the effects of the blast.

Address: 160 2nd Ave N, Nashville, TN 37201