NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Store officially opened its second Nashville location on Wednesday at TriStar Centennial Medical Center, aiming to address a 40% increase in families facing food insecurity over the past year.
The new storefront is located on the ground level of TriStar Centennial’s B Garage at 311 23rd Ave North. The buildout and operations have been made possible through corporate and private donations to The Store, including a partnership with the hospital.
The location will allow The Store to more than double the number of families currently being served and help those who have been on a waitlist for the original Belmont University location. Founders Brad Paisley and Kimberly Williams-Paisley joined Metro and hospital leaders for a ribbon-cutting ceremony before welcoming shoppers.
Addressing growing need
Nashville organizations have struggled to keep up with the growing number of families that cannot afford to put food on their tables. Hunger is at a 10-year high in the city.
The Store served 2,200 families in 2025 at its Belmont University campus location, which opened in 2020. Due to the growing hunger crisis, demand for The Store’s services continues to grow and the waitlist has substantially lengthened.
“This is a dream come true,” Kimberly Williams-Paisley said. “Unfortunately, the need is great, but fortunately, we have this space. This is about three times bigger than our original location.”
Kim Ayers, a customer who shops at The Store with her grandchildren, said recent benefit cuts have increased demand beyond what food assistance programs can handle.
“When they decided to cut the SNAP benefits, that left a lot of children and seniors hungry,” Ayers said. “That put all pantries, including The Store, at a high demand but not able to fulfill the capacity of people because they weren’t expecting to have to feed on that level.”
The new location is nearly three times the size of the original store, with expanded storage and volunteer work space. The larger facility will also offer emergency clothing and other resources for Centennial patients.
The Store’s model emphasizes dignity and choice, allowing customers to select from fresh produce, healthy meats, dairy products and pantry staples while catering to different dietary needs. A small dedicated staff, supported by volunteers, ensures efficient service and personal attention to each shopper.
Normal shopping experience
Brad Paisley said the goal is to provide a normal shopping experience that helps people receiving food assistance.
“This really is a model where people get back on their feet,” Paisley said. “It’s not meant to be a permanent solution to anything. It takes a little bit of the sting away in that moment of need, and, then ideally, they don’t need us anymore and they come back to help.”
Ayers, a type-two diabetic, said the ability to choose fresh food makes a significant difference for her health and her grandchildren’s development.
“This is where people come to feel a value and know that they are going to be respected,” she said. “The Store allowed me to maintain stability. Something that is crucial that a lot of families don’t have because they have to make hard choices.”
Hospital partnership benefits
Tom Ozburn, president of Centennial Medical Center, said the partnership addresses a gap in healthcare by ensuring patients have access to proper nutrition after leaving the hospital.
“The thing we don’t do as a hospital well is to really ensure they are getting the things in their diet to prevent them from coming back to the hospital,” Ozburn said. “Having proper diet, having proper clothing are critical for a patient not to be readmitted to the hospital.”
He first reached out to The Store about forming a partnership just as CEO Collen Mayer was starting to look for second locations.
Ozburn said Centennial staff had been going out and spending their own money to support patients, and he’s hoping this new resource will close the gap that many people face.
Volunteers and donations needed
The Store utilized more than 3,100 volunteers in 2025 to stock shelves, assist customers and execute year-round programming. With the addition of the second location, The Store will need 275 volunteers each week and welcomes individuals, families and organized groups to volunteer.
“We will always be looking for volunteers. We need financial contributions so we can continue paying for food, now at two locations,” Williams-Paisley said. “We are tripling the number of customers that we are serving. The need will continue to rise.”
Williams-Paisley said fighting hunger always has a ripple effect, where people The Store is able to help go into the community and help others put food on the table.
Although they might still have a waitlist even with this second location opening, Williams-Paisley said this expansion proves The Store can continue to grow to other parts of Nashville and eventually other parts of the country to continue feeding families.
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