Arnold's reopens temporarily to large Nashville crowds: what to know, how long you have to eat

Arnold's Country Kitchen on Monday reopened its doors for the first time, save for some holiday pop-up services, since closing in 2023.

The beloved meat-and-three restaurant has been operating for more than 40 years. But Kahlil Arnold, owner and son of founder Jack Arnold, who died at 85 years old last year, said Monday's lunch service felt like an exciting new start.

"I've done this a million times but this feels like the first time," he said from behind the counter to the faithful customers assembled before him, waiting to fill their trays with fried chicken and banana pudding. "It's great to see everyone!"

In late 2022, the owners of Arnold's Country Kitchen announced plans to close the Nashville fixture, a somewhat sudden move that saddened Arnold, he told The Tennessean.

The family had planned to sell their 8th Avenue property, but that deal later fell through, he said.

"It's inevitably going to sell one day," Arnold said in November. "But we're not in any rush now."

Though he was dismayed initially by the closure, Arnold said the time off allowed him to spend some time with his father. And on Monday, the doors back open, he was all smiles.

How long the restaurant will remain open is anyone's guess. The property is still up for sale.

"It is open-ended," Arnold said. "but I don't see it going past six months. I think a few months is really what's going to be happening."

Arnold is still scouting locations for his next restaurant. Though it will be another Arnold's location, nothing can replace the original, he said last year.

"There will never be another Arnold's, at least exactly the way it is now," he said. "It would be a disservice to try to replicate it exactly, because that place is so special."

The time to get a final taste of something special is now. The restaurant will remain open ― until it is not — weekdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Arnold said he was looking to purchase a West Nashville building for relocation, but someone else got to it first.

For now, the family remains on the hunt, he said. He hopes the time between closing the original location and reopening elsewhere isn't too long, but like everything else, that's up in the air.

"I'm hoping everything lines up perfectly," he said.

Arnold's Country Kitchen is at 605 8th Ave S, Nashville.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville favorite Arnold's Country Kitchen reopens after 2023 closure