BREAKING: Longtime Songwriter Hotspot Douglas Corner Closing Permanently

Nashville’s Douglas Corner Cafe, a longtime favorite spot for music lovers and songwriters, will close its doors for good, according to owner Mervin Louque.

Louque made the announcement on Thursday (May 28) via a video on Douglas Corner’s official Facebook page.

Louque opened Douglas Corner 33 years ago, in 1987, alongside businessman Rick Martin. Since then, the 8th Ave. S. venue has become a place where artists including Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Billy Dean, Blake Shelton, John Berry and more held early showcases. The venue’s regular songwriter showcases have drawn regular business for years.

According to the Douglas Corner Cafe’s official site, Garth Brooks held his first fan club party at the venue, performing with his band. He presented Louque with the printing plate that was used to make the Fan Fair posters for the event—that plate still hangs on the wall at Douglas Corner.

Others who have performed at the venue include Eric Church, Keith Urban, John Prine and more.

Douglas Corner has been closed since March 15, as have numerous restaurants in Nashville as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Unlike other venues, its doors won’t be reopening.

“This has been a hard decision and a lot of prayer has gone into this. I came off the road many years ago from doing engineering,” says Louque, who served as a recording engineer for years before opening Douglas Corner, with credits including The Bellamy Brothers, Barbara Mandrell and more.

In the video, Louque thanked the club’s servers, sound techs, and more who helped operate Douglas Corner on a day-to-day basis. “It breaks my heart, but there comes a time when we all need to move on and do other things and that’s my time now…I’m proud of the legacy this place is leaving,” he said.