Today Turnip Truck had the honor of celebrating the first birthday of our West Nashville/Charlotte Ave. store during a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
ByΒ Marq Burnett
Mar 30, 2020, 7:48am EDT
Like a lot of Nashvillians and Middle Tennessee residents,Β John DykeΒ is dealing with disasters on two fronts.
Dyke, founder and owner of Turnip Truck, opened the groceryβs third location, in West Nashville, on Friday, but said itβs been a challenging few weeks due to both the tornado and COVID-19.
Dyke recalls spending βthree days in rubbleβ after a deadly tornado struck Nashville. Dykeβs East Nashville store sustained roof damage, but a warehouse near John C. Tune Airport storing his equipment was flattened.
Dyke was able to salvage a few countertops, but said he was fortunate enough to find closed grocery stores in North Carolina where he could buy equipment during an auction.
Now, heβs managing a grocery store in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic.
βI had to remind myself to look around because we still have a neighborhood thatβs torn to pieces right in front of our eyes,β Dyke said. βItβs almost like we donβt notice it because weβve moved from one thing to the next.β
Dyke opened the doors to Turnip Truckβs third location on Friday.
βWe wanted to have an essential place for our neighbors on the west side to be able to come shop,β Dyke said. βThere are so many stores that arenβt able to meet the demand, so I felt it was critical for us to open up.β
Dyke said sales have almost doubled in recent weeks, calling it βextreme growthβ inside the stores.
Take a tour of the store in the slideshow with this story.
βEverything Iβve seen has been two thumbs up, twice,β Dyke said of the response heβs seen to the store opening. βEverybodyβs excited about having this in their backyard so theyβre not having to drive out of their neighborhood to get the critical supplies that we all kind of need at this moment.β
The 15,000-square-foot store offers produce, a butcher, bulk foods, beer and wine, supplements, health and beauty items, and a filtered-water station. The produce is sourced within 200 miles. In a typical season, 90% or more of Turnip Truckβs produce is organic, but a news release notes that this may be affected by βthe current situation.β
The store also plans to have a hot bar, salad bar, 100% organic juice bar and deli. However, due to the coronavirus, the salad and hot bars are currently closed at all Turnip Truck locations. In an effort to meet increased demand for groceries throughout the city, Dyke said heβs hired 30 new employees to ensure shelves remain stocked at stores.
Rooftop solar panels will provide 15% of the storeβs energy. The store will have recycling stations; it also wonβt use plastic grocery bags, a company policy since 2014.
Dyke, an East Tennessee native, opened the original Turnip Truck Natural Market on Woodland Street in East Nashville in 2001. He later opened a location in the Gulch.
ByΒ Marq BurnettΒ Β Mar 26, 2020, 7:33am EDT
With the increased need for groceries and other household items due to COVID-19, the Turnip Truck is proceeding with plans to open its third location.
Turnip Truck owner and founderΒ John DykeΒ announced the full-service natural grocery store will open at 10 a.m Friday at 5001 Charlotte Ave.
βTwo weeks ago, much of the equipment for this store was destroyed by the tornado,β Dyke said in a news release. βWith COVID-19 striking on the heels of that, we knew we had to press forward to help feed our neighbors. Iβm thrilled to say that β against all odds β we are opening a day earlier than we had originally planned. It wonβt be as polished as we had hoped, but it will be open.β
The 15,000-square-foot store will offer produce, groceries, a butcher, bulk foods, beer and wine, supplements, health and beauty items, and a filtered water station, according to a news release. The produce is sourced within 200 miles. In a typical season, 90% or more of Turnip Truckβs produce is organic, but the release notes that this may be affected by βthe current situation.β The store also plans to have a hot bar, salad bar, 100% organic juice bar and deli. However, due to coronavirus, the salad and hot bars are currently closed at all Turnip Truck locations.
βThis would not have been possible without the herculean efforts of our team and the support of the city of Nashville,β Dyke said in the release. βWe are thrilled to have more than 90 local companies represented in our inventory. In addition, we are creating new jobs here for 70 employees.β
In an effort to meet increased demand for groceries throughout the city, Dyke said heβs hired 30 new employees to ensure shelves remain stocked at stores.
Rooftop solar panels will provide 15% of the storeβs energy. The store will have recycling stations, and it also wonβt use plastic grocery bags, a company policy since 2014.
Dyke, an East Tennessee native, opened the original Turnip Truck Natural Market on Woodland Street in East Nashville in 2001. He later opened a location in the Gulch.
βWith the current threat to our health, nowβs the time to focus on nutrition and building up our immunity,β Dyke said. βOur team has always been a health partner to our customers, and we are ready and able to help folks find the right products and supplements for their individual need
Rooted in Nashville. Growing Together.
οΏΌ Friday, May 9th, 2026
οΏΌ Turnip Truck Natural Market Β· Nashville, TN
οΏΌ Live music Β· Local makers Β· Food & drink
The .ics file works with Apple Calendar, Android, Yahoo, and most calendar apps.