By Logan Langlois
NASHVILLE, TN — The Lewis Country Store, long famous for its connections to far-right extremist groups and controversial messaging, has made headlines after being sold on January 2nd to the Nashville-based Tri Star Energy, the parent company of stores such as Twice Daily and White Bison. Located about 20 minutes North of Nashville on Old Hickory Boulevard in Bells Bend, the store’s former owner and operator Brian Lewis opened it with his late father Jimmy Lewis in 2004 and has been no stranger to controversy. Clark described himself as “not a cuckservative, I’m an actual literal Nazi” the day after senior researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center Jeff Tischauser published a report detailing Lewis’s hosting meetings for white supremacist groups in a gym located above the location’s country store.
Tischauser would uncover The Lewis Country store to be hosting supremacist groups such as the Tennessee Active Club, the same extremist group identified escorting failed Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson along with Lewis himself and group leader Sean Kauffmann to a candidate forum. Wildly enough, Hanson herself would also work as a former listing agent of the Lewis Country Store. Tischauser discovered the Country store was hosting the sparring sessions where the extremist groups would network while monitoring the messaging app Telegram, a platform that has become a haven for private extremist forums in no short part thanks to its message encryption.
Not long after Tischauser published his report, Brad Lewis spoke on a white supremacist podcast confirming that people train in the space above. After publishing his report, Tischauser would say Lewis has on multiple occasions called him both racial and anti-Semitic slurs. Tischauser also said Lewis had written two separate homophobic poems about him.
The Country Store has come under fire for broadcasting such messaging on its digital screen as “Proud Boys Did Nothing Wrong,” “F*** This Communist Government,” and “Trump Just Said It. Bill Clinton Did It! The Only P*$$y Trump Ever Grabbed Was Paul Ryan! #TrumpThatB*tch.” It was this offensive messaging that led to the community store, restaurant, and gas station losing its branding in 2016. Once a Shell gas station, the conglomerate distanced itself from the Country Store when its profane messages made headlines.
In response to the outcry, Shell would release a statement detailing, “the content of the message does not reflect the views or opinions of Shell and we are following up with this independently owned location to investigate further.” Shortly after the supposed discussion, Shell would pull their branding, with The Country Store responding by updating their digital sign to broadcast, “Is Debranding Like Deleting? Never Forget Benghazi. All Deplorables Must Vote Nov 8. #TrumpThatB*tch.”
During 2020, the Lewis Country Store would loudly proclaim defiance against the Davidson County COVID-19 mask mandate. They would do this by placing a sign at the entrance of the store saying, “If you are scared, stay at home! If you are afraid to be within 6 feet of another person, please do not enter.” Brian’s father and co-founder Jimmy Lewis would die of COVID-19 that same year.
The money paid for the Lewis Country Store location is undisclosed by Tri Star Energy, though according to the Davidson County Register of Deeds, the property was sold for $4.5 million. Tri Star Energy vice president Dawn Boulanger said the location will operate like the company’s other stores. According to Boulanger, Lewis is no longer involved in the operation and the location is now under Tri Star ownership.
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