Since its inception in 2018, The Loading Dock has established itself as a neighborhood favorite in Wedgewood Houston. After a temporary hiatus, The Loading Dock is relocating to 1821 Jefferson St in North Nashville.
The Loading Dock’s owner Juan Vega-Romero has worked in the restaurant industry since he was 18 years old. His initial idea was to open a bar, but when he came across the Lindell Ave location six years ago, he realized that a coffee concept would blend perfectly into the neighborhood of small businesses and makers.
The Loading Dock amassed a loyal customer base of nearby residents, students, artists and creatives who were drawn to the restaurant’s mission of “being the place where our friends and neighbors can gather for a sense of community.”
Vega-Romero spoke with What Now Nashville about the origins of The Loading Dock and its latest relocation plans.
“Shortly after opening The Loading Dock, I fell in love with our employees and the ins and outs of how a coffee shop runs,” said Vega-Romero. “For a while, we had been poking around new locations, but ultimately leaving our location at Lindell Ave was unexpected. We are choosing to look at it as the push we need to move onto something bigger.”
Vega-Romero and his team will be taking over the space previously occupied by Jefferson Street Cafe. With a footprint triple the size of The Loading Dock’s original location, the Jefferson Street location will still have an outdoor space and plenty of indoor room for guests to sit and enjoy a drink or meal. Vega-Romero plans to open a drive-thru for The Loading Dock as well.
“We’re really excited by the opportunity to move into the North Nashville community, especially as the area doesn’t have a lot of shops like The Loading Dock right now,” he said. “We want The Loading Dock to be a place not just for residents to grab a sandwich, but also to be a spot where students from TSU, Fisk University and Meharry can sit down and have a study group.”
Students frequently visited the original The Loading Dock for study sessions, but Vega-Romero hopes the proximity of the new location to the universities’ campuses will be appealing.
The Loading Dock will continue with its tradition of showcasing local artists’ works on its walls by partnering with the North Nashville Arts Coalition, a non-profit congregation of artists that promotes equity in the creative economy. The Loading Dock will be a part of the coalition’s annual cultural crawl.
With The Loading Dock’s expansion into a 2,200 square-foot space with a small stage, the breakfast and lunch concept is looking to host larger events. Vega-Romero mentioned plans to have musical entertainment, spoken word performances, writers’ roundtables, comedy shows and trivia events. He anticipates that once renovations are complete the space will be able to accommodate 50 to 60 people.
“Re-opening The Loading Dock in this new location feels a lot like a homecoming,” said Vega-Romero. “This is going to be a place for us to really take off.”
Vega-Romero anticipates The Loading Dock will open at its new location in early June.
