Acme Feed & Seed owner Tom Morales knew that he wanted to stay true to the store’s agricultural history, while at the same time providing an of-the-moment feel to patrons. The larger company that Morales owns, TomKats, includes a movie set catering service with credits on 330 films and TV shows to date, as well as three additional restaurants in the Nashville area.

Acme Feed & Seed regularly hosts live bands, including official house band the Music City Toppers, in its first-floor dining space, which retains its original flooring and support beams.

It ultimately took Morales about two years and $6.5 million to restore the circa-1890 structure.

A black-and-white photo depicting a 1949 Ford flatbed truck serving as a makeshift stage hangs on a first-floor wall. Morales was able to find an identical truck in North Dakota, and plans to keep the tradition alive by inviting bands to play in the truck’s bed at store events.

When Morales first gained ownership of the building in 2012, it had sat vacant for over a decade. During that time, downtown Nashville transitioned into the country music-centric tourist hub that it is today. Acme Feed & Seed sits in an enviable spot on Lower Broadway, right across the street from the former Phillips and Quarles Hardware Store (now a Hard Rock Cafe.)

Country music star Alan Jackson was one of the initial investors in the restoration project, which ultimately cost about $6.5 million. Morales and his partners decided to let the building’s exterior retain its weathered appearance.