If I do it right, I won’t own it forever either. Now it’s my charge to carry the torch forward and make sure it’s around for another 70 years. It took 70 years of Nashville to make this place what it is today, through changes in neighbors, customers, economies, and ownership. I do know the place decomposed enough over some period of time to become known as a dive bar – and I like dive bars. The current operators didn’t own it then, and neither did I.

I don’t know what this pool hall was like when it first opened in 1942. We want you to walk down those stairs in a few months and still get that soothing feeling that you are “home”, leaving the surface world behind. It will be a gritty, well-loved, worn-in bar where you can still drink cold beer out of a plastic cup, play ping pong and pool, listen to great music, and get a decent drink (served by someone who will pay attention to you, but not wearing suspenders). As funny as I think the tiki bar rumor is, it isn’t true. It will close temporarily for some building updates and careful tweaking, and then reopen. You’ve undoubtedly heard that Melrose Billiards will close next month. I accepted this challenge knowing that it could otherwise go on the open market for lease.

I was presented with the opportunity to take over the space, and my decision to take it on has not been an easy one. I do not own the building and I did not make the decision whether to let the current tenants stay. My company, A.Ray Hospitality, which owns M.L.Rose and The Sutler was offered a new lease on the Melrose Billiards space beginning in October 2016, and we have accepted. It’s no secret that change is afoot in Melrose.

So earlier today Ray looked to help set the record straight on his involvement up to this point, and what his plans are for the beloved dive bar going forward, by publishing the following open letter on The Sutler's website:Īn Open Letter To Anyone Who Cares About Melrose Billiards: The worst thing is, they could have given us six months' notice and we could have found something.'ĭespite Ray stating that he intends to keep the bar much the way it currently is, outside of some needed structural work, rumors still made the rounds this weekend regarding Melrose Billiards' future. We’ve been here 47 years, and there’s nothing we can do about it. 'The owner of the building is partners in the restaurant, and they’re hijacking our place,' says Jim Chandler. In an interview with The Nashville Scene, the Chandlers were clearly upset by the decision, directing much of their frustration at Joe Parkes, the name partner in development firm Parkes Company and half of the property's ownership group, who also happens to be partners with Ray in The Sutler, located right next door: Rose) would be taking over the space starting in October, with plans to re-open it by the end of the year. Ray Hospitality group (which owns and operates The Sutler and M.L. News broke this past Friday afternoon that current owners Jim and Jerry Chandler's lease would not be renewed, and that Austin Ray and his A. The future of 74-year-old pool hall and dive bar Melrose Billiards was certainly a hot topic over the weekend.

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