Verna Hospitality Debut Concepts to Open Friday, September 5
Verna Café & Bar
The newest additions to Nashville’s historic Rock Block, Verna Café & Bar and Connie’s, will both officially open to the public for full service on Friday, September 5. These debut concepts come from Verna Hospitality, founded by local industry favorites Beau Gaultier and Connor Bloem.
Designed to create an all-day experience across the two locales, the concept pays tribute to one of Nashville’s oldest streets—long celebrated as the epicenter of the city’s early counterculture movement following the opening of the iconic Exit/In and other surrounding businesses in the 1970s. Verna Café & Bar and Connie’s will honor the neighborhood’s legacy of inclusive, round-the-clock community watering holes with playful beverage programs featuring coffee, craft cocktails, wine, and beer and a menu of Japanese-Cajun comfort food available all day.
Verna Café & Bar will be open Wednesday through Sunday for brunch, happy hour, and dinner and Connie’s will be open afternoons to late-night Wednesday to Monday. Happy hour will be offered from 3 to 6 p.m. daily.
Verna Café & Bar
On the Food Menu
Verna Café & Bar, an all-day café, features a menu of Japanese-Cajun comfort food inspired by Beau’s heritage and the flavors of his childhood, as well as his affinity for Japanese cuisine. The Sunrise Menu, served from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., offers brunch-centric items such as Miso-Maple Overnight Oats (with toasted pecans, brown butter caramel, and sea salt), Mango Rice Pudding (coconut & vanilla pudding with fresh mango, cayenne, and mint), the S.E.C (spicy andouille, steamed egg, American cheese, spicy mayo on toasted white), a Chili-Pork Melt (slow-braised pork, American cheese, fried shallot, chili mayo, on toasted white), and a selection of Baby Cakes — a gluten-free pancake–muffin hybrid — in flavors like Matcha Ginger, Banana Rum, and Miso Corn, to pair with coffees, teas, and seasonal drinks (i.e. the Banana Puddin’ Latte with espresso & banana puddin’ milk). The happy hour menu – from 3 to 6 p.m. – offers items like a Deviled Egg Sando (Verna egg salad, soft boiled egg, green onion, chili mayo) and the Bull Dog Steak Sando (grilled and chilled sirloin, bulldog sauce, horseradish kewpie, pickled onion). Dinner kicks off at 5 p.m. and is served until close with the Sunset Menu featuring dishes such as Fancy Zapp’s (Zapp’s Chips, gussied up with chili braised pork, green onion, kewpie, chili crunch), Spam & Rice (marinated spam, soft boiled egg, kimchi, green onion, chili mayo, sesame, bulldog sauce), a Crab Rangoon Melt (Texas toast with rangoon filling, green onion, chili crisp, American cheese), and Seasonal Affogatos (Blue Bunny vanilla ice cream & espresso with seasonal toppings) as a sweet treat for dessert.
Connie’s
Connie’s food options are fun yet simple and includes beef or vegan hot dogs like the K&M Dog (ketchup and mustard), Kani Dog (crab rangoon, sriracha, sesame, green onion), Tokyo Dog (bulldog sauce, kewpie, bonito, togarashi, sesame), Kimchi Dog (cream cheese, kimchi, kewpie, togarashi), Spicy Dog (Wickles Pickles, chili crisp, sesame, kewpie, shallot), and Aloha Dog (cheese, cilantro, pineapple relish).
Connie’s
The Beverage Programs
A key highlight of Verna Café & Bar are its signature House Cocktails that are centered in approachability and feature light-hearted, fun ingredients. Categorized by the engaging descriptors Spritzy, Shaken, Rich, Daring, and Boozy cocktails include options like All In The Family (sherry, papaya, aloe, mint, soda), Graham Cra-quiri (house blend rum, graham cracker, lime, lime, salted coconut cream), Texas Rattlesnake (andouille-infused whisky, banana pudding, grated nilla wafer, cream), Walk It Off (sagamore rye, ginger, honey, chilli crisp, lemon, abita strawberry), and Army Half-Day (popcorn-infused gin, vermouth, cool ranch brine). A curated selection of beer, wine, and the team’s favorite classic cocktails, “Our Favorite Classics”, are also available.
At Connie’s, the menu is designed to lead late into the night – for those that want to partake – and features a pared down selection of classic house cocktails like the Yoo-hoo Espresso Martini, Margarita (on-the-rocks or frozen), Old Fashioned, Paloma, Daiquiri, Mai Tai and easy-drinking beverages such as beer, wine, shots, and a handful of N/A options.
The Design
At the front of the building, Verna Café & Bar retains the charm of the original Cafe Coco space while embracing a subtle modern refresh. The interior is light and airy, with a vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from Japanese aesthetics, the design incorporates light woods and bright, understated colors. Pine hutch pink walls are accented with touches of antique burgundy, while dark wood elements and the golden oak chairs and bar top add depth and balance to the space.
Tucked in the back, Connie’s serves as the space’s laidback late-night destination. Evoking the sentimentality of a classic dive bar where time slows down after hours, the space encourages a nostalgic reprieve with its soft lighting, convivial atmosphere, and classic retro aesthetic interior featuring dark leather and wood throughout. Perfect as a pre-and-post-show destination or one final stop for the night, Connie’s is the kind of place that lets the evening linger—with good conversation and even better company.
Photo credit: Beau Gaultier
