Pictured L-R: Steve Goetzman, Marlon Hargis (Exile), Keith Bilbrey, Renae The Waitress, Larry Black, Nadine, Keith Bilbrey, Jeannie Seely, Bill Anderson, T. Graham Brown
Gabriel Communications, television personality Larry Black and his fellow cast members on the nationally-popular comedy and music variety show, Larry’s Country Diner, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony this morning on a new 6,700 square foot venue that will host their popular TV tapings, a full-service diner restaurant, gift shop and concert venue for performances from some of country, bluegrass and gospel music’s biggest stars.
Located at 7734 Highway 70 South in Bellevue off of exit 196 on I-40W, the custom-designed facility will be a replica of the diner portrayed in the television show, which airs nationally on RFD-TV. It is slated to open in late spring 2016, and will include a 135-seat restaurant and entertainment venue meant to encapsulate the full Larry’s Country Diner experience – “where the cameras are always rolling, and we don’t care!” The concert venue will host scheduled and impromptu performances by music artists who live in Nashville, and those just passing through.
Bill Bass, project manager for Larry’s Country Diner at its parent company, Gabriel Communications, said the venue is expected to attract hundreds of new tourists and locals of all ages each month, and bring approximately 20 new jobs to the Bellevue area. “It is difficult to tell at this point whether we will hire more or less, but we anticipate the impact on the local community through tourism to be measurable.”
Larry’s Country Diner, which began in 2009 and has traditionally been taped at Northstar Studios on Dickerson Pike, plans to continue to grow the operation as popularity for the brand and the show continues to increase over the years.
“When we first started this show, we had the vision of creating something that no one else had done – something that was full of family-friendly humor, old-fashioned values, and great music popular in the good ‘ole days and today. Witnessing its tremendous growth over the past six years that’s allowed us to build a real-life diner where the food is served hot and feels right at home when you walk in is a dream come true,” said Larry Black, founder and owner of Gabriel Communications.
In true Larry’s Country Diner fashion, the groundbreaking ceremony was complete with giant forks, which served as shovels, and homemade pie.
Councilwoman Sheri Weiner, who according to Black was involved from day one in helping to clear the hurdles to keep the project on track, attended the ceremony and said, “Larry’s Country Diner represents belief in a commitment to the future of Bellevue by bringing their destination alive at exit 196.”
Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp., was also present to show his support.
“This is another great addition to the city’s offerings. It is particularly noteworthy because of the Bellevue location and the direct connection to the TV show. Spreading the wealth and our attractions is a very good thing for the city,” he said.
Fans of Larry’s Country Diner are invited to personalize commemorative bricks that will pave the diner’s entrance with names, slogans, logos or memorials in memory of loved ones. For information on how to dedicate a brick, please visit http://www.larryscountrydiner.com/product/larrys-country-diner-brick.
Gabriel Communications has hired MCR Group as the general contractor for the project. David Grisham of AESH Design will serve as the architect, and Garry Batson of Batson Engineering is the civil engineer.
For more information on Larry’s Country Diner, please visit www.larryscountrydiner.com.
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ABOUT LARRY’S COUNTRY DINER:
Larry’s Country Diner is a unique down-home variety show, which integrates interviews and music in an entertaining weekly format, taped LIVE in front of a studio audience in an old-fashioned diner setting. The show features regular characters including Larry Black, Keith Bilbrey, Sheriff Jimmy Capps, Renae The Waitress and avid church gossip, Nadine, along with special guest appearances by country music artists of yesterday and today. Since its initial airing on August 3, 2009, Larry’s Country Diner has produced over 100 episodes and has become one of the most popular shows on RFD-TV, garnering 1.5 million viewers monthly. For more information, please visit www.larryscountrydiner.com.
Larry’s Country Diner is a product of Gabriel Communications. Owned and operated by longtime disc jockey Larry Black, Gabriel Communications was created in 1996 and specialized in “Reunion” videos. The success of these videos spurred the creation of more than a dozen more “Country’s Family Reunion” projects, featuring hundreds of songs and stories as well as Country’s Family Reunion News, a monthly newspaper which highlights the music of yesteryear. For more information on “Country’s Family Reunion” products, please visit: www.cfrvideos.com.
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