Nearly ten months after A. Marshall Family Foods Inc. announced plans to expand its portfolio of family-owned restaurants to the downtown Murfreesboro square, Puckett's Gro. & Restaurant -- located at 114 N. Church St. -- will officially open its doors to the public following a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017 at 4:30 p.m.
The grand opening will feature a variety of special guests participating in the event, including a welcome by representatives of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County, and -- in true Puckett's form -- a live music performance.
"As with any grand opening, this is really a celebration for us," said Andy Marshall, CEO of A. Marshall Family Foods Inc. "We're celebrating the expansion of our business, of course, but also we want it to be an opportunity to welcome the people of Murfreesboro and surrounding areas; to thank them for their support of us so far and to really begin to cultivate those relationships we've been privileged to forge in other communities."
As is the case with any A. Marshall concept, community partnership and philanthropy is at the heart of it all. On the evening of the grand opening, diners will have the opportunity to add an additional dollar or more to their total bill, with donations benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County. A. Marshall Family Foods will also donate 10% of the evening's sales to the organization.
"We are very grateful to Puckett's for pursuing a partnership with us and for including us in their grand opening," said Michelle Clifford, Director of Marketing and Special Events for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County. "It is clear they are committed to being active participants in our community, and we look forward to supporting them in return."
Leading the Puckett's Murfreesboro team as General Manager and Front-of-House Manager are Autumn Friese and Cliff Marshall, respectively. The former General Manager of Puckett's in downtown Nashville, Friese received a 'Stars of the Industry' award for Restaurant Manager of the Year from the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association in 2016. Marshall is the son of restaurateur Andy Marshall and recently returned to Middle Tennessee after two years as a manager at Puckett's in downtown Chattanooga.
"We build our teams intentionally and carefully, and Autumn and Cliff have proven themselves to be experienced leaders in our company," Andy Marshall said. "We have every confidence that the restaurant will be driven to success in this new market under their management."
The grand opening festivities will commence with live entertainment from The Jake Leg Stompers, a Rutherford-county based group who will bring an energetic performance of "pre-war roots music" to the Puckett's stage at 6:30 p.m. The restaurant's regular schedule of live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights will begin on Thursday, Feb. 16.
Diners will also hear a few words from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Rutherford County's 2017 Youth of the Year -- an annual award given to an exceptional teen member of each local Club who then goes on to compete on regional, state and national levels against other Clubs' Youths of the Year. The Rutherford County winner will be selected at a ceremony this week and will deliver his or her speech that was given as part of the competition process on Puckett's opening night.
Puckett's is accepting reservations for its grand opening by phone at 629-201-6916. The restaurant's full menu of homemade Southern favorites -- including its signature barbecue, smoked 'low and slow' for 18 hours over cherry wood -- will be available from which to order.
For more information about Puckett's and to view the menu, music schedule and more, visit www.puckettsgrocery.com.
About Puckett's Gro. & Restaurant
With locations in downtown Franklin, downtown Nashville, downtown Columbia and Chattanooga, the Puckett's roots go way back to the 1950s, and a little grocery store in the village of Leiper's Fork, Tenn. Ever since then, we've been focused on providing friends new and old with great food and Southern hospitality.
When it comes down to it, Puckett's is a community kitchen, with live pickin' performances just a few feet from your table. Authentic comfort food--barbecue smoked slow 'n' low over cherry wood, the home-cooked sides, even a few upscale dishes--is what Puckett's aims for you to remember. For more information, go to www.puckettsgrocery.com.
