Bad news for Murfreesboro area eateries: 'Closed until further notice'

Nancy DeGennaro, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
·4 min read

Here is a roundup of the latest Rutherford County restaurant news.

No more Coconut Bay

The bike nights. The great drinks. The beachy atmosphere. They're all gone with the closing of Coconut Bay Cafe, located at 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. in Murfreesboro.

A sign on the door noted the island-themed restaurant would be closed on Mondays until further notice. But on Tuesday, a different sign appeared:

Coconut Bay Cafe, 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. in Murfreesboro, is closed indefinitely. A sign was placed on the door and an announcement made on Facebook Tuesday.
Coconut Bay Cafe, 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. in Murfreesboro, is closed indefinitely. A sign was placed on the door and an announcement made on Facebook Tuesday.

"Thank you for 23 GREAT years. We are closed until further notice." The announcement was also made Tuesday afternoon on Facebook.

Hundreds of positive comments poured onto the post lauding the restaurant as a place for good food, community support and lots of memories. Coconut Bay was a first date spot for many and a place where motorcycle enthusiasts gathered for special bike nights.

More than once, the restaurant hosted fundraisers for organizations and people in the community, most recently for employee Willy Cannon, who in January suffered a stroke.

There is no word yet on the reason for the closure.

Local Taco gone

St. Patrick's Day was the last night for The Local Taco, which opened in mid-September 2020 at 521 N.W. Broad St., the former location for Dog Haus Biergarten.

"We are sad to announce that last night was our last night ever for The Local Taco Murfreesboro," a Facebook post noted. "We appreciate all of our staff and customers for their support over time."

The third Local Taco, located in Florence, Alabama, has also closed.

The Local Taco took over the location for Dog Haus, which had its own share of problems. The hot dog chain first closed in August 2018 due to disagreements between franchise owners, leaving employees without paychecks for a short time.

The Dog Haus corporation made good on paying the employees and reopened the restaurant a month later, only to close for good in January 2020 — just weeks before the pandemic hit.

Local Taco opened nearly nine months after Dog Haus left and stayed open 18 months.

The Middle Tennessee taco shop encouraged fans to visit its flagship store in Brentwood.

The Local Taco will open in mid-September at 521 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro around mid-September.
The Local Taco will open in mid-September at 521 N.W. Broad St. in Murfreesboro around mid-September.

Empanada Sonata

The closures come on the heels of The Empanada Sonata's decision to close its dining room and move to a takeout-only format. The new format will take effect the first full week of April.

"We had to figure out a way to exist," owner Marlyse Moran said.

To send off the dining room service in style, Moran is hosting three events over the weekend.

The long-time singer will perform a free evening of covers for diners on Friday.

On Saturday, a portion of proceeds from restaurant sales that day will benefit a local effort to help families in Ukraine through Cultural Care.

The restaurant's last Sunday brunch will happen this weekend starting at 10 p.m., followed by an afternoon of salsa music at 3 p.m. until close.

Visit The Empanada Sonata at 211 W. Main St. in downtown Murfreesboro.

Red Bicycle Smyrna

Although Rutherford County has seen closures over the past week, there have been some openings, too, including Red Bicycle: Depot District at 15 Front St. in Smyrna.

Owner Caleb Spearing hosted a grand opening Sunday in the renovated 100-year-old building in the downtown area.

“The vibe I’m going for is, even if it’s rainy and gloomy, (Red Bicycle) will be bright, welcoming and homey,” Spearing told The Daily News Journal in September. "I want it to be a safe haven to just come in, eat a good meal or a good drink, have a business meeting, and go out and crush it. And I want it to retain that local Smyrna feel.”

The 25-year-old entrepreneur, real estate developer and restaurant owner also moved his Syndicate & Companies offices in the upstairs portion of the building.

Restaurant hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Online ordering is also available at redbicyclesmyrna.square.site.

The Abbey and more

The Abbey Public House, a new local pub, has joined Tasty Table and Olive Branch Bakery in the building at 215 N. Church St. There are more details to come.

Visit The Abbey on Facebook.

Reach reporter Nancy DeGennaro at degennaro@dnj.com. Keep up with restaurant news by joining Good Eats in the 'Boro (and beyond) on Facebook and follow Murfreesboro EatImages s on TikTok.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Two Murfreesboro restaurants close their doors