The Café at Thistle Farms is open again in West Nashville! The restaurant, which supports the nonprofit, Thistle Farms, closed due to COVID-19, but is now officially back in business.
“It saves lives and I mean that,” Thistile Farms’ Jessica Boles told WKRN.
Jessica would know. She, like many others, came to Thistle Farms with very little hope. With a mission of “Helping women survivors of trafficking, prostitution, and addiction find healing, hope, and freedom,” Jessica doesn’t know where she would be without Thistle Farms, but likely not anywhere healthy.
“People that used to believe they have no chance come here and realize they have all the opportunities in the world and the people supporting that are heroes,” Jessica maintained.
CEO Hal Cato admits he was fearful when Thistle Farms needed to close their restaurant, since it is one of the driving forces for supporting the woman in need, who live at Thistle Farms for two years while they recover from trauma from their past.
“That was my greatest fear honestly, more than the sales, more than anything is ‘Are our women going to be okay?’ When the first wave hit and we all had to shut down the business and close the café I panicked,” Hal admitted.
The employees at Thistle Farms, many of them former residents, started packing lunches for lower-income communities, while also working on the Thistle Farms online business, which offers candles, oils, clothing and other items all available for purchase online.
“People in recovery need community, they need to be around other people,” Hal noted. “They need to go to their meetings and support groups. They need the energy that comes with being around folks who believe in you and have your back and when that is removed it’s really scary.””
Although grateful that The Café at Thistle Farms is back in business, Hal did find a silver lining in the unfortunate closure of the restaurant.
“I think people have been drawn to Thistle Farms because there is a powerful story behind it,” Hal said. “Right now we are feeling isolated and alone and stressed out, and to get a beautiful candle that was hand-poured by a women survivor and has a note in it written by the women who packed it, really means something.”
“Love can’t be quarantined,” an announcement reads on the restaurant’s website. “But love does practice social distancing to keep each other safe and well.”
While The Café at Thistle Farms is open, the dining room will only be filled to 50 percent capacity, and the menu will be limited. Curbside delivery and pick-up will also be available. The Café at Thistle Farms is located at 5122 Charlotte Pike. More information can be found on their website.
Becca Stevens, wife of hit songwriter Marcus Hummon, founded Thistle Farms in 1997. Support Thistle Farms by shopping on their online catalog.
Photo Credit: Unsplash / Brooke Lark
