Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop Is Moving to the East Side

Slow Hand Coffee owners Nick and Audra Guidry are looking to make big moves this year, as their popular downtown cafe is headed to the east side. And it won’t be alone.

Later this spring, the husband and wife team plan to open Pelican & Pig, their first full-service restaurant, in East Nashville. Located at 1012 Gallatin Ave. next to upcoming island lounge Pearl Diver, the eatery will focus on wood-fired cooking via a raised brick grill, which will be used for everything from smoking meats over embers, to ash-roasting vegetables and hearth-baking breads. Shareable sides will lean heavily on local, seasonal vegetables. The dessert menu will offer classic sweets, along with new twists on old favorites. And the beverage program will consist of a “small and specialized” cocktail, beer, and wine selection, as well as coffee from Counter Culture Coffee.

Nick will run the kitchen, with his wife Audra continuing her role as executive pastry chef, baking all of the bread and pastry items in-house, as well as handling front of house duties. Dinner will run six nights a week, with brunch on the weekends.

Setting up shop next to it will be the relocated and slightly rebranded Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop. Nick Guidry says that after learning of the sale of their current location a year ago, they went on a six-month hunt for a new location for the expanded cafe.

‘Bakeshop’ has been added to the name, signaling their intent to expand their rotating pastry offerings by about triple the current selection. The rest of the kitchen menu will feature quick service items like wraps, biscuits, and sandwiches, as well as a second menu geared towards sit-down dining. As with Pelican & Pig, Slow Hand will serve Counter Culture Coffee, adding a pour-over bar to the program.

Slow Hand Coffee + Bakeshop will be open seven days a week, and is also slated for a spring opening.

The current Slow Hand location opened at 300 10th Ave. S. in the summer of 2015, taking the popular coffee and food truck brick and mortar. A date for its closure is not yet known.