Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley revealed plans Wednesday to open their second free grocery store in Nashville.
The Store is a nonprofit organization that offers a free, referral-based grocery store to Nashville families with food insecurity. The new location will be on the campus of TriStar Centennial Medical Center, part of HCA Healthcare.
“It feels amazing,” Paisley told American Songwriter of the opportunity to expand. “It’s great. Truly. It is a little too easy, in a weird way.”
Williams-Paisley interjected: “Don’t say that.”
The country singer meant opening their second store is easier than the first. The Paisleys announced plans for the first The Store location in late 2018. When they got the space, located on Belmont University’s campus, renovated and opened in 2020, the town was recovering from a catastrophic tornado, and the world was facing the pandemic.
“It was a real uphill struggle to get the first one done,” Paisley said, proudly showing off the cavernous space TriStar Centennial Medical Center gave The Store from which to operate. “What’s amazing is that Tristar Centennial has made it easy. They’re the reason it’s easy.”
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Paisley explained the concept as a grocery store with dignity for people who have fallen on hard times. When approved, people can shop at The Store as they would at any grocery store but without having to pay the cash price. The couple was inspired to bring the concept to Nashville after taking their sons to volunteer at the similarly organized Unity Shoppe in Santa Barbara, California. They wanted their children to understand that other people were much less fortunate. But the day was a learning experience for the entire family.
Brad Paisley: “Just Imagine This Full of People”
The singer was inspired to see families come to the charity and choose what they needed. Their children never knew their experience was different than their classmates. The flagship The Store was such a success it inspired the Paisleys to expand the charity’s offerings. They considered adding a food truck that delivers groceries or a smaller satellite location. However, the answer was clear when TriStar Centennial Medical Center stepped up with the space, located on the ground level of the hospital’s B Garage at 311 23rd Ave North.
“This is all ours,” Paisley said proudly. “Just imagine this full of people. We want to have a little cafe bistro area up front. So, when you come here and shop with your family, you imagine it’s gone from something that was already full of dignity to something that you literally would look forward to.”
Williams-Paisley said Tom Ozburn, president & CEO of TriStar Centennial Medical Center, told them hospital employees were spending their money to buy their patients’ food and clothes.
“Tom said, ‘What can we do?’” Williams-Paisley said, then explained someone told him about The Store. “Then it was, ‘Let’s open one here.’”
The Store is operated by a small staff and hundreds of volunteers who ensure each customer is taken care of. They help with everything from shopping and bagging groceries to playing with children and connecting families with additional resources, including counseling, nutrition education and financial planning.
The Store Launches Doubling Our Difference Expansion Campaign
The Belmont University location offers fresh, nutritious food and wrap-around services to over 1,000 individuals, children, and families annually. Paisley said the size of the new location could allow for an even more extensive children’s section.
The Store still needs help. The nonprofit is launching its Doubling Our Difference Expansion Campaign to help fund operating expenses for the second location and future expansion. All donations are appreciated, but pledges of $500 are awarded a spot in the Checkout Crew, which comes with a permanent inscription on the checkout lanes.
“We’ll have our obstacles,” Paisley said. “But I feel great that we can get this thing going pretty quick. It was just such a good thing to be able to bring to this town that we love, that is home. We really thought this would take off. And it’s been great to see that it did.”
To donate or learn more about The Store, visit thestore.org.
Photographer: Tierney L. Cross/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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