Wild Oats closing Belmont store (Nashville)

After 15 years of selling natural food products to the Belmont-Hillsboro neighborhood, the Wild Oats store at the corner of Belmont Boulevard and Gale Lane will be closing next month, the parent corporation announced Tuesday.

Wild Oats Markets Inc. is shuttering the store on Aug. 17, a month before opening a Wild Oats Natural Marketplace in Franklin that will be eight times larger than the Belmont facility.
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In 1972, the Wild Oats on Belmont started out as an independent store, Sunshine Grocery, on the corner of Lyle Avenue and Broadway. It moved to the Belmont location in 1989, said one former owner, Alan Cameron.

This is just heartbreaking. The store that's closing was, for years, the sole place in Nashville (at least that I knew of) to buy full-scale organic. It's set in a neighborhood mostly populated by college students and urban hipsters, that borders both a predominantly black middle-class neighborhood AND upscale suburbia. The clientele was literally from all walks of life. You'd see beat-up Hondas and brand new Volvos right next to each other in the parking lot.

When Wild Oats opened a larger store in a much more high-end living part of town, it was an instant success. I shopped at both, the small store when I only needed produce, and the larger when I was looking for something from the butcher block. The larger store was increasingly becoming a pain in the ass for parking, though, because of all the SUVs, it was becoming a 2:1 SUV/sedan ratio. When one day I pulled in and saw a Hummer in the lot of an organic grocery store, I knew I'd seen everything.

The place where they are opening the new shop is in one of the highest per-capita income towns in the nation, something like $112k annual.

It's just sad that they're totally abandoning the neighborhood that made their local success possible. I used to think there might at least be a few corporations that weren't dicks, now I'm not so sure.


http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=10&screen=news&news_id=25164

She lives on Gale. I have shopped there many times.

<ON EDIT> I remember when it was Sunshine Grcery.

That's what it was when I first moved down here in 1994.

I used to go to Sunshine Grocery. I guess Wild Oats in Green Hills just killed their business. There is always Produce Place and Produce Plus in Bellevue, though.

But as I said above, it did siphon off at least part of the clientele. When I stop in the Belmont store, the parking lot is never packed like it used to be, but it's not hurting, either. Produce place is too far on the other side of town for me.

This is really going to suck though, for all the people in the immediate neighborhood who could/would walk to the store.

What a cool store that used to be back when it was the sunshine grocery...look for the Bi-Rite across the street to stay open forever, though....

Wild Oats in Green Hills is now the only place to buy good food. Damn. Also, SunshineG/Wild Oats was one of the only places of employment in this town that would hire hippie-looking people (white guys with dreads, crass punks, etc.). DAMN!

I hate Nashville sometimes.

I had no idea there were so many Nashvillians on DU. :o)

I loved that place.

I can't believe they are charging for parking now.



I'm a bird watcher, so that lake is a favorite place for me.

Band together and buy out the property, go co-op?

the Buckle of the Bible Belt? Too many people here just don't care. I mean, there's a larger Wild Oats on Hillsboro, not more that a mile away, so the only people who will really care are guys like me, and guys like me are in the minority here, even on Belmont (the "liberal" part of town.) Definitely a wingnut town, beer guzzlin, jesus-praisin', junk-food and pork rib-eatin' white folks who vote Bush or worse own this place. One mention of the word "co-op" and cries of "Communism!" and "Socialism!" would burst out spontaneously.

Sunshine Grocery was an oasis.

but it's not in my neighborhood, i.e. I prefer to walk than to drive.

"Definitely a wingnut town, beer guzzlin, jesus-praisin', junk-food and pork rib-eatin' white folks who vote Bush or worse own this place. One mention of the word "co-op" and cries of "Communism!" and "Socialism!" would burst out spontaneously."

Which is exactly why Nashville has a popular Democratic mayor (Purcell) and our previous Democratic mayor (Bredesen) was so popular he is now Tennessee's governor.

There are certainly some conservative Republican areas (mostly the south). But Nashville has consistently had liberal leaders recently which is why the city is so much better off than it was 10 years ago.

PS-- Nashville has a substantial African-American population, as well as large Mexican, Iraqi, and Indian communities.

did he not?

Now y'all want right wing whacko Republicans - come visit me in Brentwood!

I used to live on Oakland, in walking distance from Sunshine. Of course I wasn't happy when Panagea moved, but across from The pancake pantry is not too bad.

anyway, I am going to miss the laid back shopping at the old location. I loved their sandwiches.

A Wild Oats store is opening here in Lexington, right near the Joseph Beth bookstore.

In Nashville, you have Davis-Kidd which is owned by Joseph Beth. I love both stores.




BTW, is Windows on the Cumberland still open? I stopped going to 2nd when it bacame Disneyized.

competing against Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. I worked for them for two years and they treat their employees like shit. I worked as a manager of the Second Story Cafe, upstairs...one of my fellow managers got fired two days before Christmas one year for no reason other than the company needed to cut costs and decided labor was the only area to downsize. Every day to day decision about the Nashville store was made some 300 miles away at corporate HQ, and these pampered clowns made my life hell for two life-sucking years... always sending corporate "consultants" to spy on me to make sure I didn't add too much of certain ingredients to recipes; total nefarious interference, busywork, bullshit. I worked an average of 70 hours a week and only got paid for a 40 hour workweek, no overtime. Eventually they got rid of my position to cut labor costs too. Assholes. Plus they're continuously cutting back on the size of their book stock and adding more greeting cards, CD's children's toys, extraneous bullshit, so there's less and less reason to shop there.

Too bad it's like one of only four non-evangelical christian bookstores in Nashville!

Windows on the Cumberland IS still open, in fact I'm playing there tomorrow night with the Adam McIntyre band...I'm playing bass. I love that place; Boots is a doll!

the Lexington store is real good, and the employees seem to be happy. There is very little turnover. I never go in the Cafe, so I can't speak about their experience.

I heard that the Wild Oats on Belmont was not a very good place to work. Same for Sun Shine grill. My wife used to be cashier at the Pantry. That's a good place to work for a restaurant.


Does Terry Young still own Cumberland?


corner of Belmont and Cedar.

Nashville has a staple of fried chicken, barbacue, grits and beer.

Wild Oats must be from outer space to them.

Bad location.

The Wild Oats in Green Hills is ALWAYS packed even though the parking is horrendous there.

I'm looking forward to the new one opening but it's sad they're doing it at the expense of the older, smaller store.

Sounds like we have a group; we oughta get together for a meet up!

The parking lot is terrible at Wild Oats. You've got Hillsboro High, Wild Oats, Walgreens, Davis-Kidd, and HG Hills right at that one intersection, and from 8 AM till 7 PM you cannot move if yer drivin'. SO many SUV's. ugh!

LOL! I almost never drive my sportscar there and it has lamost no trunk. Here's what I sometimes do -

Park on the first row that runs along the line between WO and Grace's dress shop. You can cross over the divider there and they have some stairs at the high end. It's a little easier to get in and out there so unless I'm having to use my forearm crutch I park there.

Personally, I think they should bulldoze the Hills and move Wild Oats into that space. There are only like 3 old ladies who ever shop there any more and they can go a block over to the Kroger.

Cafe, Rotiers, Brown's Diner, and on and on. Oh yes, The Pancake Diner.


BTW, is Reba still an asshole?

I don't pay enough attention to Reba to know if she's an asshole!

Just ate at Blue Moon on Sunday - went by boat.

Don't think I have been there. What's the food like?

I do like their tortilla soup. I haven't had a bad meal there, and the waiters are very nice.


BTW, you're so Nashville if you get high in the parking lot of Friedman's.

You're are so Nashville if you tailgate with pride.

You're so Nashville if you are on first name basis with the bum on the corner of 265 and Broadway.

Your turn

My favorite one was a few years back about Boner - You're so Nashville if your mayor is engaged and married at the same time.

You know, my son was on a first name basis with a number of bums. He went to school downtown and knew a number of them at the bus stop. They all wanted to give him advice. I guess because they have done so well?? He said when they would have a fire drill in school they would file out and jump the drunks sleeping in the yard.

Is that the same thing as the diner?

Nashville also has a lot of musicians and artistic types who eat vegetarian.

I am really surprised that the news of the closing of a local store in Nashville that sold organics is posted to LBN.

Before a few years ago, when the standards act was passed, how many organic food products can you name that were part of a big business or corporation?

Horizon organic bought Happy Cow, IIRC, and more recently was bought out by Dean foods, which already had a good deal of their stock. Organic Valley has been around for a while. I think they're still a co-op, so I don't expect to see them enter that dance, but you never know.

Organic foods are becoming big business. Just the fact we had Sunshine/Wild Oats and they were doing well was enough to force the major grocers into carrying the product - although often at a much higher price, cause they think we suckers.

Wild Oats, as far as I can tell, is perched to become the Kroger, the Price Chopper, the Stop and Shop and whatever else is out there, of Organic Foods. It's reality that they will have to upsize if they want to remain competitive as the trad grocers catch on, I just wish they didn't have to abandon their roots.

Only big buisnesses are really able to survive now. This needs to be changed.

Business as usual. When a small business closes because it's getting knuckled under by the big corporations, that's a bunch of people who are now out of jobs they liked who now must find work with one of those evil Conhugeco.'s who offer no benefits, pay you in buttons and shells, and treat you with disregard at best and impunity at worst. I hope Sam Walton is roasting in hell right now.

This is sad. I grew up in and around the Belmont area. It is probably the coolest area in Nashville. I hope nothing bad replaces it (Walgreens). Anyway, does anyone know if Bongo Java is still on Belmont? If so, I'm sure Starbucks is circling Sunshine like a vulture.

I live across the street from Bongo Java. Bob Bernstein is still the owner and is still a cool guy. Ryan Finney still works there; an awesomely funny guy! I worked there last summer as a cook...a total freethinkers' oasis in this town.

Another independent coffeshop is Fido's which is very popular.

Starbucks is everywhere - like Walgreens but as long as the kids keep pouring into Bongo and Fido's they'll keep their heads above water.

It would be pretty moldy by now.

Maybe they preserved it.

Sadly, I never go to the Village. No parking and I'm too damn old for the crowd. <sigh>

glass case. They also sell the T-shirt...

Fuck Starbucks, support local indie coffee houses!

International house.

Be sure to throw your tennies over the phone lines across Belmont. I watched one pair go from red to white. I guess eventually the string broke.

Near Coolsprings Mall south of Nasvhille, in Franklin/Brentwood. Take I-65 down like 10 minutes and get off on Moore's Lane/Galleria Blvd

Don't know when it'll be ready, but I suspect a couple of months

Both my kids used to work there - and they do let you wear dreads and look like a hippie there (my son was one of them). It has a lot of organic but it is pretty ridiculously high. I do like to eat lunch there though.

There are certain gourmet items I get from there - Creme fraiche, imported lemon curd, cabernet vinegar, etc. They also do some killer prepared foods like their Cajun fried chicken breast. In fact, had that for dinner tonight along with their mesclun salad with strawberries, almonds, and bleu cheese crumbles and Oriental Ssesame dressing which they bottle (it should come with a straw!).

Yummy. My daughter made it for dinner at her place and she learned to make it there back when.

How many Nashville DU'ers do we have?

Speaking of Nashville - did anyone see Dave Atelle's Nashville show? I have yet to see it. I'm talking about Up All Night or whatever that is called on Comedy Central.

from Bellevue. :)

I have asked you that a couple of times before but you didn't answer so I wasn't sure if you didn't want to give up your locale. Okay to remain anonymous geographically if you want.

Sorry! I'm west of Nashville. :)

If there's a Democrat in Dickson there is hope for ALL of us!