Music-themed eatery Sun Diner launching ghost kitchen in Franklin

Cole Villena, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read

Sun Diner, a music-themed eatery inspired by Memphis' historic Sun Records label, is bringing its diner fare to Williamson County.

The Nashville-based restaurant is opening a delivery-only ghost kitchen in Franklin ahead of a nationwide expansion push.

"As the stewards of the Sun Records brand, our goal was to find unique and interesting ways to widen the Sun audience and introduce these legendary songs to a new generation of fans," said Sam Sklover of Primary Wave, the parent company for Sun Records.

"We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the label’s 70th anniversary."

Sun Records is known for launching the careers of country music legends Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash. In 2016, the label lent its name to Sun Diner, a restaurant located near the honky-tonks of Nashville's Broadway entertainment district.

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The menu features diner staples named with country music-inspired names, like the "Love Me Tenders."

Ghost kitchens, also known as virtual restaurants, delivery kitchens or online-only kitchens, do not have dining rooms or physical points of service for customers. Instead, customers place orders to-go or online through delivery apps such as DoorDash and GrubHub. The concept became more popular during the coronavirus pandemic when customers were looking for alternatives to in-person dining.

Franklin Junction, an Atlanta-based national restaurant brand, plans to expand the concept nationally, according to the press release.

Sun Diner's Franklin location will be available for pick-up and online orders through delivery platforms, including UberEats and DoorDash. The restaurant will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. In a country-inspired twist, each order will come with a QR code that links to a playlist of Sun Records hits to encourage diners to listen to the label's stars while they eat.

Cole Villena covers Williamson County at The Tennessean, part of the USA Today Network — Tennessee. Reach Cole at cvillena@tennessean.com or 615-925-0493. Follow Cole on Twitter at @ColeVillena and on Instagram at @CVinTennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sun Diner launching delivery-only ghost kitchen in Franklin