Keith Bulluck poured batter into a black waffle iron in the kitchen of his new Franklin coffee shop on a recent morning.
The former Tennessee Titan was making himself a spinach and egg white “womelette” and bacon tater to eat at a wooden table decorated in newspaper articles featuring his name.
Customers started to filter in, pickup up their coffee orders on a spinning No. 53 lazy Susan. Above them swirly red script read “eat, drink, love.”
“I was here the other day, and someone was like, ‘Does Keith Bulluck have anything to do with this?'” he said with a grin. “If you don’t know me by face you might not recognize me, as I am doing this in my shop open and close. When they realize, I think it’s great. It’s been fun getting to know my community. I met 10 different families just this weekend.”
His new Just Love Coffee location sits off Aspen Grove Drive, nestled next to Tiff’s Treats. The McEwen at Northside area is relatively new, with apartments, businesses and Mitsubishi headquarters across the street from Whole Foods on McEwen Drive.
Bulluck said he was always a business-oriented person, taking advantage of NFL’s partnerships with Harvard and other universities. After investing in local enterprises at the Nashville International Airport, he wanted to dedicate himself to an opportunity where he could be hands-on. Bulluck said the Murfreesboro coffee company fit his spirit because of its philanthropic focus on children who need adoptive families.
Bulluck decided to create a space that looks a tad different than a traditional Just Love. A Titans theme permeates the store, which features a mural by North Studios that incorporates Bulluck, downtown Nashville and late Titans quarterback Steve McNair.
“I am also an owner in the actual franchise,” Bulluck said. “My space is unique because it’s a signature store. My store is in the suburbs, and I need it to have the city feel, my personal history and Nashville’s history tied in. You know as athletes, you only have a window of time to play. I feel that people always have it in their mind that all they can do is play sports. There’s other challenges in life. I have other plays in line that follow this: less talk, more work.”
Opening in the middle of a pandemic, Bulluck said he was in his business for the “long game.” During the few weeks the store’s been open, customers have walked in masked. Hand sanitizers sit on a counter just inside the door and diners sit socially distant from other customers. Bulluck himself is typically behind a red face mask.
“We provide a good atmosphere, and it prepares me for what you can’t prepare for,” he said. “You know something is going to happen when you own a business. I just try and be prepared. In a year and half, this will be one of the best places you can be.”
Emily West is a reporter for The Tennessean, covering Franklin and Williamson County. Follow her on Twitter @emwest22 and email her at erwest@tennessean.com.