Franklin
- Curio Brewing Company opened in July at 216 Noah Drive, Franklin, in the former location of Mill Creek Brewing Company. The coffee shop and taproom offers specialty coffee drinks and house-made cold-brew coffee as well as a selection of craft beer on tap. Curio Brewing Company also offers growler fills and bags of coffee to go. www.curiobrewing.com
A new brick-and-mortar location of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is now open in McEwen Northside at 4031 Aspen Grove Drive, Franklin. The scoop shop opened in mid-August and offers a wide variety of ice cream flavors, including Gooey Butter Cake, Milkiest Chocolate, Salty Caramel and Savannah Buttermint. Jeni’s now operates seven locations in the Greater Nashville area, including one in The Factory at Franklin and one in Hill Center Brentwood. www.jenis.com- Just Love Coffee Cafe opened July 13 at 4031 Aspen Grove Drive, Ste. 138, Franklin in the McEwen Northside development. The coffee shop offers a selection of specialty coffee drinks using freshly-roasted coffee beans as well as a breakfast lunch and dinner menu. www.justlovecoffeecafe.com/mcewen
- Panda Express opened earlier this summer at 2430 Goose Creek Bypass, Franklin. The fast-casual eatery is known for its orange chicken as well as its beef and shrimp entrees. While dine-in service is not yet available, according to the Panda Express website, takeout, delivery and drive-thru services are open. 626-206-9386. www.pandaexpress.com
- Poke Bros. opened a new restaurant in the Cool Springs area at 430 Cool Springs Blvd., Ste. 110, Franklin, on July 23, according to a social media post from the company. The fast-casual eatery offers healthy poke, or sushi in a bowl, and currently operates over 30 restaurants across the Midwest and the East Coast. 615-435-3451. www.eatpokebros.com
- The Boilery Seafood & Grill opened in July at 545 Cool Springs Blvd., Ste. 195, Franklin. The eatery offers fresh seafood dishes, including crab, shrimp, crawfish, lobster and crab, as well as burgers, steak, fish and sandwiches. The Boilery also features a raw bar and seafood boils in which each order is custom-made with a choice of meat, sauce and spices. 615-567-6853. www.theboileryseafood.com
- Vui’s Kitchen opened its fourth location July 1 at 1201 Liberty Pike, Franklin. The eatery, which also operates three locations in the Nashville area, offers fresh Vietnamese options, including pork belly bao buns; banh mi sandwiches; and rice and noodle bowls. 615-567-5962. www.vuiskitchen.com
Brentwood
Pies by Gigi opened Aug. 31 at 330 Franklin Road, Ste. 906D, Brentwood. The bakery, founded by Gigi Butler, offers a variety of baked goods, including scones, breads, quiches, and specialty sweet and savory pies. Take-home meals, such as casseroles and pasta dishes, are also available. The menu includes gluten-friendly and vegan options. Butler founded Gigi’s Cupcakes in the Middle Tennessee area; she also operates Meals by Gigi, which launched earlier this year. http://piesbygigi.com- Peace, Love and Little Donuts opened in early June at 213 Franklin Road, Ste. 120, Brentwood. The eatery offers a wide selection of specialty doughnuts in a variety of flavors, such as apple pie, cherry cheesecake, Oreo, maple bacon and lemon blueberry. The shop also offers fresh-brewed coffee from Frothy Monkey. 615-964-7995. www.peaceloveandlittledonuts.com
