'Rebounding in a positive direction': Wilson County Subway marks a new beginning after 2020 tornado

A March 2020 tornado destroyed a Subway on Eastgate Boulevard in Lebanon.

But that was only the start of two years of challenges for franchise owner Sam Patel.

Patel also had about $250,000 in damage from the tornado to his home in Mt. Juliet. Other Subway businesses in the Nashville area and a Quality Inn in Lebanon that Patel owns also had damage from the deadly twisters that hit during the early morning hours.

“If we would have had customers and staff there ...” Patel said, "they would have been wiped out."

Patel's Subway and home were among the more than 1,300 structures in Wilson County damaged in the tornado, which started in Davidson County and traveled more than 60 miles through Wilson County and into Smith County. Winds were up to 165 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

Eastgate Boulevard was in the path of the tornado with many businesses and structures receiving significant damage.

The Subway franchise Patel owns previously operated in a leased space in a commercial center before the storm. The new Subway will be part of a new commercial center on Eastgate Boulevard that Patel is building, projected to open around May 1.

“All I can say everything that gets wiped away can be rebuilt," Patel said. "It took a little toll mentally and physically; we had people out of work and we tried to move them around. We’re looking to rebuild stronger and we’re anxious to get the staff back.”

The new Subway is on the north side of Eastgate Boulevard, across the road from where the restaurant formerly operated, on land that Patel had owned, sold and then bought a portion back.

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The Eastgate corridor has several larger warehouse operations that have made it "a great location for us," Patel said.

The commercial center is next to a Taco Bell, both on land Patel formerly owned and sold as a larger tract. Patel bought about four acres back to build the new commercial center.

“This area mirrors the spirit of the community that has been so resilient over the past couple of years,” Lebanon Alderman Chris Crowell said. “It has gradually recovered with significant reinvestment and now looks better than before. City staff has worked to help owners bounce back and we appreciate their commitment to keep our local economy moving forward.”

The owner of the building destroyed in the tornado that housed the Patel’s Subway on Eastgate Boulevard has also rebuilt and has stores open.

Two public schools, Stoner Creek Elementary and West Wilson Middle, were among the damaged buildings in Wilson County and continue to be rebuilt.

"A lot of businesses and residents have rebuilt or begun to rebuild," Wilson County Emergency Management Agency Director Joey Cooper said. "Some have elected not to rebuild.

"We still have resources out there assisting, these are mainly nonprofit organizations from within the county and some working with organizations outside the county. I feel that we are slowly rebounding in a positive direction."

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How a Lebanon Subway and its Mt. Juliet owner rebuild after 2020 tornado