Statement from Jack Cawthon
Founder and owner of Jack’s Bar-b-que, on the sale of Broadway building to Robert’s Western World
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to own an iconic Broadway institution for more than three decades. Broadway is a wonderful place and a world-renowned destination. I’ve loved helping to build and be a part of that story, but now is the time to give others a chance to be successful and continue that story.
I look forward to working with my team, and focusing on our other restaurants and our catering business. Catering is how I began Jack’s. In a way, I’m coming full circle. I’m excited to take our beloved pits on the road to serve the Nashville area!
Everyone loves Jack’s neon sign – our flying pigs over Broadway. We’ll be removing that sign and returning it to Joslin Signs, where it was originally built, for renovation and refurbishment. Then it will go back up in a prominent place in our city. Stay tuned for more information on that!
I’m enormously grateful to the men and women who have run our Broadway location so well for years. Many will remain a part of Jack’s team, and others will be offered great packages. There is a lot of opportunity for everyone ahead, and I’ll be excited to watch us all grow from this time.
I’ve had my share of health challenges through the years, but my doctors at Vanderbilt have been incredible. They’ve saved my life numerous times. I’m healthy today, full of energy, and ready for this next chapter.
About 416 Broadway
In 1994, Jack lost his lease to the original Riverfront location and the building itself was soon torn down to make a new parking lot for the Hard Rock Cafe. Exhausted and in search of a location to relocate to, Jack asked his employees for advice on where to move. Their reply was to relocate to the Ryman, Tootsies and Ernest Tubb Record Shop area. After all, these were the attractions most often frequented and inquired about by customers. Jack followed their advice and moved the restaurant to its current location at 416 Broadway and this time he bought the building.
Jack sold the building to neighboring Robert's Western Wear and closed this location on August 4, 2025.
