One of Guy Fieri's Restaurants Has Shuttered

Guy Fieri's restaurant empire just got a bit smaller. The Food Network chef's Chicken Guy! Restaurant in downtown Nashville, Tennessee closed earlier this year, just two years after Fieri and fellow restaurateur Robert Ear opened the chicken joint in July 2021. A reason for the restaurant's closure is not known.

It is unclear exactly when Nashville's Chicken Guy! shut its doors, but the restaurant's Yelp page noted that "this location has closed." The restaurant – located at 139 2nd Ave N Nashville, TN 37201 – won't sit vacant for long. The Nashville Post reports that the restaurant appears to be set to reopen as The Lounge at 2nd. A permit is being sought related to the restaurant, which will be located at 139 Second Ave. N., with Brentwood's Stevens Design and Consulting (Ed Stevens) handling the build-out. Further details about the space, including a possible opening date, are unclear.

Chicken Guy!, marking one of the Mayor of Flavortown's latest restaurant expansions, opened in July 2021, just months after the historic street was rocked by a bombing attack on Christmas Day 2020. The restaurant's menu featured chicken tenders, skewers, sandwiches, and salads prepared with a variety of housemade sauces, as well as desserts including six "Flavortown Shakes" available in classic flavors (chocolate, vanilla and strawberry) and apple cinnamon cereal shake.

"Nashville is one of the most exciting cities in America, and I am stoked to bring Chicken Guy! to 2nd Avenue to add to the party," Fieri said in a press release at the time. "Music City knows great food, and we're proud to bring our 22 house made sauces, killer chicken and good times to the mix."

Nashville Chicken Guy! was a popular dining choice, even for Fieri. In May 2022, the chef made a surprise stop at the location to meet and take pictures with more than 500 fans. The Food Network star joked, per The Tennessean, that he was "coming to get some chicken. I know that's why everybody came by here." In reality, Fieri made a pitstop at the location while he was in town filming episodes for his long-running show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Fieri added of being back at the spot, "This neighborhood's been rocked. You know there has been a lot that has happened here. We had the grand finale to 'Guy's Chance of a Lifetime' where we gave away Chicken Guy!" He added that he hoped "to do more restaurants in Nashville without question. I love Nashville."