Caviar and Bananas, Nashville, TN

2031 Broadway St, Nashville, TN 37203

Y’all, this has really been a LONG time coming. I went to Nashville for two weeks and visited about a dozen coffee shops around March 2018. I was so incredibly excited about it and had plans to make an awesome coffee shop series on this incredibly city. I was saving the blogging for when I deployed, but I was not expecting Doha, Qatar to captivate me (and my time) with even more coffee shops like it did. I think you see where this long excuse is going — the Nashville series didn’t happen while I was deployed, but I’m determined to bring it to you NOW. I’m not necessarily going to go in order in which I visited the coffee shops. In fact this next shop is the LAST one I visited before heading out of town, but it’s a real aesthetic treat. Let’s kick this thing off,

meet Caviar and Bananas!

**Caviar and Bananas in Nashville just recently re-opened under new ownership on November 6th, 2018! Track their Instagram @caviarbananasnashville to find out more!**

Caviar and Bananas started in the Holy City, the icon of the south - Charleston, SC. The owners, however, are not necessarily what you would think of in terms of Southerners. In fact, they really got their culinary roots in New York City. The story they tell is a unique one.

Kris Furniss worked in finance in New York. On the fateful day of September 11th, a coffee run saved Kris’s life and made him question his current trajectory. In that moment, he decided to ditch finance and pursue his culinary passion. He worked his way up and earned a career in the operational management side of the high-class restaurant business. in that time, he met his soon-to-be wife Margaret who was pursuing a graduate degree in design. The two of them together “had an itch to do something on our own.”

They took a giant leap and opened up their first gourmet shop in the place where Margaret went to school, where they got married, and in a place they wanted to call home: Charleston, SC.

Before I go on, let me just say - Caviar and Bananas is not and do not label themselves as a coffee shop. They are first and foremost a gourmet market and cafe designed to make gourmet a part of every day. They offer made-to-order salad and sandwiches and boast a large selection of pastries and delectables. The Nashville location offers a boutique wine and beer selection and snacks that are so fancy, they seem best fit for gifts rather than for purchasing for yourself.

You can’t miss the ‘YAY WINE’ floor!

But coffee is another thing they do. Their desire is to not just be a gourmet cafe, but your go-to coffee shop! The biggest thing they’ve got working against them at their Nashville location is parking. I almost didn’t check out Caviar and Bananas because of the parking. The shop is situated on the first floor of a plaza on a corner lot, caught in between a curve. There’s limited-to-no street parking the parking lot close by isn’t intended for visitors, so you’re forced to park in the parking garage over the shop. That being said, Caviar and Bananas will validate your parking pass for one hour.

The coffee menu is standard for a second-wave coffee shop. Latte, cappuccino, americano and drip coffee (iced or hot). I ordered myself a cappuccino to take on the road. It checked the box and tasted pretty good, but isn’t something I’d rave about on here. However, I’d have to say that’s fair given than this is a luxury cafe first.

If I’m honest, the best part of the store is the design. It’s picture worthy and at any given moment, you’ll capture at least one person snapping a photo. Margaret’s design background shines through strong. The chevon floors, in-laid honeycomb tile, the gold chairs, and modern lighting achieves the luxury feel they want to embody.

The sandwich and salad options are anything but basic. For example, their Tennessee Trio is bedecked with ham, fried pork belly and bacon jam. Mouth watering right? Their salads resembled all the unique options you’d expect to see from Trader Joe’s, except they’re fresh. The breakfast is said to be pretty tasty and there’s lots of talk about their frose. The prices aren’t cheap. Gourmet food = gourmet prices. This may not be your everyday place, but it would be worth a splurge once in awhile. If you’ve ever got a gourmet picnic in the future, this would be a great place to snag snacks and food to impress your significant other.

Take note, this is the only Caviar and Bananas location outside of South Carolina. The original location is set in Charleston and they’ve branched out to what they’re now describing as their flagship location in Greenville. The Nashville location recently re-opened and is back in on the Nashville scene! Track their Instragram @caviarbananasnashville to find out more and remember to EAT, DRINK and SHOP local to keep these independently owned stores alive!