🏫 School threats rising at Nashville schools

🍽️ It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

Margot Café & Bar will close its doors on June 5, the 25th anniversary of the French-inspired farm-to-table restaurant that launched Nashville’s now-booming food scene. Over the past 25 years, Margot has become a Nashville staple, from shepherding budding chefs into full-fledged restaurateurs in their own right, to serving food in the aftermath of the 2020 tornado despite major damage to the restaurant. But on today’s podcast, chef Margot McCormack says she’d be unable to open the restaurant today. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• Margot opens: It cost McCormack only $150,000 to open Margot in 2001. With no freezer, she had to build relationships with local farmers to bring in fresh ingredients every day.
• Award snubs: While Margot never received a James Beard award, McCormick feels like her path was just to make good food for her community. However, she says she did get mad when the city and state paid Michelin to launch a guide to the American South, and Margot was excluded. She believes tourism development entities had a vision for where they wanted to steer Michelin, and Margot wasn’t a part of it — a decision that reinforced her decision to close. She argues Nashville’s restaurant scene is becoming divided by money; if you don’t have a hospitality company behind you now, you can’t survive.
• Tune in: Listen to today’s podcast for her full exit interview, and to find out what she’s up to next.
• I want to hear from you: Do you have fond Margot memories? Email me for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

🏫 School Threats Become More Common

Threats of school violence are becoming more common in Middle Tennessee schools. During the 2025-2026 school year, the Metro Nashville Police Department investigated 160 school threats, leading to 26 arrests. Mt. Juliet eighth-grader Emerson Littrell said she felt “nervous and scared” after two threats of mass violence on successive days at her school in April. [🔐 The Tennessean]

• Yesterday, more than half a dozen Tennessee schools, including Antioch High School, were placed on lockdown for bomb threats. [🔐 The Tennessean]

🚗 What’s Up With Parking in 12 South?

Businesses in 12 South are pushing back against new parking restrictions that only allow permitted residents to park on neighborhood side streets. “24/7 residential permit parking will be the final straw for every local business on this street,” said Fryce Cream owner Jeremy Barlow. However, residents say 12 South visitors were blocking driveways. [WSMV]

• If you can find a place to park, here’s our local guide to 12 South — which we’ll soon need to update due to the closure of 12 South Taproom. [📰 City Cast Nashville]

🎟️ Live Nation Buys Popular Music Venue

Live Nation has bought Franklin’s FirstBank Amphitheater for $23.49 million. The ticketing giant also owns Brooklyn Bowl, and recently announced a new Wedgewood-Houston venue called The Truth. FirstBank Amphitheater was built in an abandoned 1960s rock quarry in 2014. [🔐 Nashville Business Journal]

• A court recently ruled that Live Nation and Ticketmaster ran an illegal monopoly over concert venues and ticket sales, making it more difficult for indie venues to thrive. [NewsChannel 5; 🎧 City Cast Nashville]
• Live Nation has also come under fire for placing ads for its new Nashville venue, The Truth, in front of indie venues. [Nashville Scene]

🎵 Local Org Connects Musicians With Philanthropy

Music Community Foundation is a new Nashville-based organization that connects musicians with philanthropic resources to help build and grow charitable efforts both locally and nationally. “Since first partnering with the Foundation during the 2010 flood relief concerts, I’ve been proud to be part of the work they’re doing,” said country artist Trisha Yearwood. [Axios Nashville]

• The organization got its start in 1997 when Chet Atkins opened its first charitable initiative, but the Foundation launched nationally this week. [Music Community Foundation]