NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) – Mac and Cheese, fried chicken. There’s nothing like sitting down and eating food that hits your soul.
Howard Jones takes pride in filling bellies here at the Kingdom Cafe & Grille.
“We service up a lot of smiles. A lot of warm hearts. A Lot of warm customer service and delicious food here,” Jones said.
Born and raised in the city he loves the diversity and the culture, especially in zip code 37208.
“Jefferson Street has been monumental for generations,” Jones said.
But Jones wishes, we talked about it more.
“As I look at these poles and look at the flag posts and look at them empty…and I go to Green Hills, and I see flag posts that are not empty. I’m already getting teary-eyed, cause this is our community too!! And it’s downtown Nashville! Like it’s here,” Jones said.
“As we look at this area, as it continues to evolve, we can’t ignore the fact that it’s one of the most historic streets in the world,” Monchiere Holmes-Jones, Chief Brand Curator of MoJo Marketing said.
It’s why Monchiere Holmes-Jones moved her business to historic Jefferson Street three years ago.
“From Fisk, to TSU, to the fact that music city is named BECAUSE of this area!! And now you have these businesses who continue to sustain and thrive–and setting new history for us,” Holmes-Jones said.
One day, she starts counting the Black-owned restaurants and stores along this strip and noticed…
“Wait, that’s 20, that’s 30, that’s 40, that’s 50,” Holmes-Jones said.
50 plus businesses, Black-owned, one location. Something Holmes-Jones says is not in a lot of cities, and something she cherishes.
“I’m making a Call to Action for that! I think we need a banner on Jefferson Street that says “Welcome to Jefferson Street, the home of 50+ Black-Owned Businesses,” Holmes-Jones said.
It’s a push she’s fighting for. To get a banner stating just that.
“Something that gives us a moniker to welcome people to Jefferson Street and remind people of the historic nature of Jefferson Street,” Holmes-Jones said.
An idea Jones supports 100%.
“We need more. I see more. The sky’s the limit.”
Hoping to make Historic Jefferson Street known and preserved for natives to remember, and visitors to acknowledge and respect for generations to come.
Holmes-Jones says they’re just starting the process of speaking with council members to try and get a permit to make this dream a reality.