A longtime staple of the coffee world is closing its doors.
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Fido, the mainstay Nashville coffee shop has told customers it plans to close shutter operations. There is a catch, however; the restaurant isn’t closing until June 1, 2028.
The dog-friendly establishment’s founder, Bob Bernstein, posted a large notice and countdown clock in the shop (located at 1812 21st Ave S in Nashville) explaining the closure and advanced notice. Berstein, who opened the Hillsboro Village location on Oct. 11, 1996, explained that he wanted to treat these final years as a “celebration.”
“…things change. I’ve changed. The city has changed. And Boom Town economics has changed everything,” Bernstein wrote. “Many question why I made this announcement three years in advance of closing. Typically restaurants wait until the last days to make such an announcement in order to hold on to business and employees. I’ve never cared about the usual way. And I believe this is partly why Fido and our other businesses became trusted and welcome parts of their communities. I don’t want our closing to be a sudden sad thing. I want these last years, months, days, minutes and seconds to be a reflection and celebration.”
The entrepreneur went on to elaborate on why he’s closing Fido in 2028 in an interview with Channel 5, Nashville’s CBS affiliate. He blames the projected rent the coffee shop will require, as well as tariffs and other ongoing issues plaguing business around the U.S.
“It’s tied to our lease. I know how much money this building is going to need, where my head will be, and most of all, where the rent will be. It was time to make the decision,” Bersnstein told the TV station, adding, “Everything is harder and more expensive than it was 30 years ago when we opened It’s a win lasting this long.”
Fido is open (for now) weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekends 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.