Nashville’s famous Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge is now a full-service restaurant! The popular bar and music venue, which originally opened in 1960, was forced to close while Nashville was in Phase 2 of the reopening plan, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since Tootsie’s made the majority of their revenue from alcohol sales, the legendary downtown club decided to reopen as a full-service restaurant instead.

Steve Smith owns Tootsie’s, along with several other downtown bars, and has been a vocal critic of Mayor John Cooper’s reopening plan. After Nashville initially moved into Phase 3, which allowed bars to be open, the mayor returned the city to a modified Phase 2, requiring bars to remain closed. With the most recent update, bars are now allowed to be open at 25 percent capacity, while restaurants can be open at 50 percent capacity.

According to WKRN, Tootsie’s will now offer steak and pork chops, among other options. The restaurant’s new hours are 9:00 AM to 10:30 PM on Monday and Wednesday, and 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM all other days.

Steve previously said much about the modified Phase 2 plan was unfair, including the original 10:00 PM curfew on all establishments.

“I’m not happy,” Steve told WKRN. “This pandemic, the only thing it’s affecting in Nashville is downtown Nashville and all the bars. They let all of the other surrounding counties operate.”

“I can go to Mt. Juliet and party,” he added. “I can go to Franklin and party, and come right back to Nashville.”

Steve also said that the restrictions were unfair to both owners and employees.

“It’s killed us already,” Steve said. “It’s murdered us. It’s horrible. My employees don’t have no money. They are all out of work. It’s horrible.”

More recently, several Nashville bar owners have been meeting with Mayor Cooper to work towards reopening in a way that is both safe and profitable.

“The message we’re trying to convey to visitors, if you want Nashville to be here next year, you will wear a mask,”  Rob Mortensen, President/CEO of the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association, told WSMV.

“One of the things I keep hearing from the mayor is, ‘I want you all back in business, I need you back,’” he added. “However, we have to understand how we move the city back as a place where we are all safe.”