Shouldn’t have had to give up anything, but at least he’s able to move on.
A popular Nashville restaurant has reached a settlement in a lawsuit from their neighborhood Karen after she moved into the house next door and then complained about the smell of BBQ from the restaurant.
It all started when Natalie Castillo moved into the home next to Roy Meat Service, a butcher shop and restaurant in East Nashville, after relocating from California a few years ago. But apparently she didn’t do her research, because Roy’s Meat Service has been grilling up meat in the neighborhood for the past 11 years.
So long story short, the neighbor wasn’t happy, and filed a lawsuit back in 2023 against the local business, alleging among other things that part of a concrete slab at the restaurant encroaches a foot over onto her property and that the smoke from the constant grilling is a “public nuisance.” Castillo said in her complaint that the constant smoking of ribs, chicken and pork affect her “ability to enjoy her property as well as negatively affects her health.”
I mean, what do you really expect when you move next to a restaurant that serves smoked meats?
The Nashville community rallied around Roy’s Meat Service, which has been in business since 2008 and made headlines for helping feed neighbors in the community back in 2020 when a deadly tornado struck Music City. A GoFundMe raised over $45,000 for the small business, and owner Jeff Roy says that he had to add an extra smoker when the community began showing up to support him as a result of the lawsuit.
Well it’s been an ongoing saga, but according to The Tennessean, a settlement has finally been reached in the lawsuit that will allow both sides to move on with their lives.
The terms of the settlement are confidential, but Roy says that his shop will have to change the days and times they’re able to cook. Despite the result, Roy says he’s happy that it’s over:
“This way it’s over. I got the first couple good nights of sleep in a while knowing that it’s over. It’s cost me quite a bit of money.”
Nick Leonardo, attorney for Roy and his business, called the settlement a good result for the neighborhood, and Roy hopes that business will begin to pick up again after things slowed down due to the heat in Nashville:
“I believe people will start coming by and getting more stuff to grill as it cools off a little bit.”
I’m happy that it’s offer for Roy and his business, but I hope the restrictions of the settlement don’t impact his business – and I hope the Nashville community steps up and continues to support his shop. These are the kinds of places that make Nashville special, not whatever newest trendy restaurant is going in this week that serves $15 espresso martinis and $25 tacos.
Think I might have to make a trip over the East Nashville myself this week.
