One of the best-known restaurants in the Nashville area is the Loveless Cafe, known for good, country hams, fried chicken and delicious biscuits (The recipe remains a secret to this day.).
The Loveless got its start in the early 50s when Lon and Annie Loveless sold fried chicken and biscuits (made using Annie's secret recipe) to those traveling to and from Nashville on Hwy. 100. When business boomed, they converted rooms in the house to accommodate diners, and they expanded their offerings to include country ham and homemade jams and preserves. The Loveless changed hands a few times over the years, and each owner shared the biscuit recipe with the next. In 1985, the then-owners closed the motel and concentrated on the cafe and mail-order business. Sometime in 2003, new owners took over the Loveless, and, in 2004, they closed the cafe for renovations. The Loveless reopened with an expanded dining room (and kitchen), and the former motel rooms now house a number of shops, including the Loveless Country Market.
The picnic tables in front of the current Loveless are a reminder of the picnic tables from which Annie and Lon sold their fried chicken to hungry travelers over 50 years ago. And, although the motel has been closed for more than 30 years, the Loveless Neon still proclaims, "No Vacancy."
