Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon Coming to Downtown Nashville

Icon Entertainment’s Bill Miller has revealed plans to open Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon, a 15,000 square foot restaurant and venue, in downtown Nashville.

The new venue will be located at 121 Third Ave. S., in the building originally slated to become the Merle Haggard Museum and Merle’s Meat + 3 Saloon. A representative for Icon Entertainment confirms plans for the Haggard museum and restaurant, which were originally announced in October 2017, are no longer moving forward.

Johnny Cash’s Kitchen and Saloon is slated to open in late Spring 2019, and joins the growing number of downtown artist-affiliated entertainment venues by artists like Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and others.

The restaurant will offer up traditional southern meat and three fare (with a little soul food tossed in for good measure) in collaboration with the Swett family and David Swett, owner of Swett’s famed meat and three in Nashville. Swett provided kitchen and menu design on the project as well as recipes and employee training for the kitchen.

“I’m beyond thrilled to expand our extremely successful relationship with the Cash Estate through this ground-breaking food and beverage concept,” Miller says. “My relationship with the Cash family extends to nearly my entire life, and there’s no greater pleasure for me and my family than continuing our partnership well into the future. The impression Johnny Cash left on Nashville is indelible and this venture further confirms that his presence will be a dominant force here for many years to come.”

“On behalf of the Cash family and estate, I am honored and excited to have this additional alliance with Bill Miller to expand celebrating the lives of John and June Cash,” said Cathy Sullivan, representative of The John R. Cash Trust. “Johnny Cash is still a vibrant force in the Nashville community and beyond. It is a fitting tribute to bring this unique venue where families and friends may gather in a way that brings new life to the Cash family style of entertaining.”

Icon Entertainment, founded by Miller, currently owns and operates the Johnny Cash Museum, the Patsy Cline Museum, Nudie’s Honky Tonk, House of Cards and Skull’s Rainbow Room in Nashville. Icon has also acquired commercial real estate totaling six properties and over 110,000 square feet in downtown Nashville.