In late October, Clay Greenberg announced that Punk Wok, his Asian small-plates restaurant at Sylvan Supply, would close on Sunday, Oct. 25. The restaurant was five years in. Then the landlord called. According to the Nashville Scene, CBRE Management, which manages Sylvan Supply, offered to work with Punk Wok to help it stay open. Greenberg took a few days off to recharge and planned to reopen.
That reversal is a small story, but it matches a larger one playing out across Sylvan Park this season. On Murphy Road and on Charlotte Avenue, restaurants are retooling around the ordinary visit: a weeknight burger, a kids' menu, a long happy hour, a coffee at 7 a.m. The places that started out aiming high are coming back to the neighborhood, and the neighborhood's own patronage is what decides whether they stay.
A Tavern Name Over 4410 Murphy Road
Lion's Share opened at 4410 Murphy Road in the building McCabe Pub once occupied. The original concept paired raw fish preparations with open-fire cooking. Less than five months after opening, the ownership group announced a new culinary direction, and in October the Nashville Scene reported that the restaurant had become Lion's Share Tavern. The owners say they want a more casual tavern feel, closer to McCabe Pub's.
The bar menu points the same way. The Scene's critic wrote that on early visits he heard several diners wish the whole restaurant served the pub food offered at the bar. By early summer, a dedicated bar menu with a burger and fries with country ham mayonnaise was already out. The rename finishes that shift.
Julio Morales now leads the kitchen. He has cooked at Folk, Rolf and Daughters and St. Vito Focacceria, and he has also worked in Michelin-starred kitchens. Under his kitchen and the new name, Lion's Share Tavern now offers:
- A broader menu that includes a kids' menu with fish and chips, a cheeseburger and buttered pasta.
- Happy hour extended to two full hours, 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at the bar and on the patio, with $2 oysters, half-price fish and chips, $8 glasses of wine and $10 cocktails.
- The McCabe Lounge, the former private upstairs lounge, now open with its own bar, TVs and a screened, heated patio.
- A refurbished dog-friendly patio with retractable electric screens, fans, heaters, greenery and TVs.
- A new draft beer system going into the downstairs main bar.
The ownership group also promised additional price points so diners can eat casually without spending much, and said it has been listening to customers. The new upstairs room, the McCabe Lounge, carries the name of the pub that used to occupy the building.
The Landlord at Sylvan Supply Made a Bet of Its Own
Sylvan Supply sits at 4101 Charlotte Ave. in the former Madison Mill buildings. According to Sylvan Supply, Madison Mill made wood and steel products on the site starting in 1959. The redevelopment mixes creative offices, retail and dining. Third & Urban and FCP developed the project. In early 2022 they sold their interests to CBRE Investment Management, Citybiz reported.
So the Punk Wok decision came from an institutional owner of a mixed-use complex, and it chose to work with a five-year tenant instead of releasing the space. Over those five years, Punk Wok has adjusted its menu and mission. It added dim sum and dropped live music.
The help comes with a condition that only the dining room can meet. Greenberg said business had been slow. In his social media post, he said there is no guarantee Punk Wok can stay open long-term unless more diners come in. The Scene placed Punk Wok's announcement among several Nashville restaurant closings that same stretch, including Deacon's New South and 51 North Taproom. It also cited a KPMG survey from this summer, which found that 67 percent of consumers were eating at home more often than dining out. Of those, 76 percent named budget constraints as the main reason.
Set against that survey, the changes at Lion's Share Tavern make sense: extra price points, $2 oysters, and a kids' menu. Both restaurants are reaching for the same customer, the one who eats out on an ordinary weeknight.
Two Ten Jack and Elegy Fill In the Weekday
Sylvan Supply also gained two businesses that serve the daily routine more than the special occasion.
Two Ten Jack opened at 4109 Charlotte Ave. in September. The menu has ramen, kushiyaki grilled skewers, brothless noodles, and small plates such as crispy rice and Japanese fried chicken, 6AM City reported. The Nashville Business Journal noted that the location opened after a brief hiccup. Patrick Burke and Seed Hospitality operate the restaurant, and Jessica Benefield is chef-partner, according to the Nashville Scene.
Elegy Coffee is open in Suite D120 at 4101 Charlotte Ave., which the company calls its newest shop. A permit for that suite first surfaced in April, WhatNow Nashville reported.
These are the posted hours for the three Sylvan Supply spots in this story, from each business's own site:
| Business | Address | Posted hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elegy Coffee | 4101 Charlotte Ave., Suite D120 | Daily, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
| Punk Wok | 4101 Charlotte Ave. | 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; closed Tuesdays, holidays and sometimes in bad weather |
| Two Ten Jack | 4109 Charlotte Ave. | Mon. to Thu., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m.; Sat., 5 to 10 p.m.; closed Sun. |
Put together, the complex now covers most of a weekday. There's coffee from 7 a.m., lunch at two kitchens, and dinner at Punk Wok every night but Tuesday, outside its posted holiday and bad-weather closures. Two Ten Jack serves dinner on Tuesdays. On Murphy Road, Lion's Share Tavern's happy hour runs Tuesday through Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m.
Saturday Mornings and December 6 at Richland Park
Farther west on Charlotte, the Saturday market keeps its own schedule. The Richland Park Farmers Market meets Saturdays at 4711 Charlotte Avenue. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon from April through December and 10 a.m. to noon from January through March. That puts the later winter start about seven weeks away, so the next several Saturdays keep the 9 a.m. opening.
The same park holds the season's first community date. Friends of Richland Park will host its second annual neighborhood tree lighting on Sunday, Dec. 6, at Richland Park, and the start time and schedule are still to be announced, according to Nashville Guru. On a December Sunday, Elegy is open until 4 p.m. and Punk Wok until 9 p.m. Lion's Share Tavern has its heated, screened patio and the McCabe Lounge upstairs.
Greenberg said the support at Sylvan Supply only lasts if more diners come in, and the Lion's Share owners said they have been listening to customers. Both depend on how often the neighborhood eats out this winter.
Eddie Ferrell follows the restaurant changes along Charlotte Avenue and Murphy Road closely, and he's glad to talk through what they mean for your street. Let's Connect.
