Loveless Cafe

Nashville's Loveless Cafe originally began as the Harpeth Valley Tea Room. It was purchased in 1951 by Lon and Anne Loveless and converted into a duel purpose motel and cafe. The location was ideal for people traveling on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The family started out serving fried chicken at picnic tables, but eventually expanded their menu. With the expansion of their menu, the family had to convert a few of the rooms inside their home into dining rooms to accommodate the growing number of customers. In 1959 the Loveless family sold the cafe and motel. The property has had various owners since the sale, but Charles and Donna McCabe are responsible for transitioning the property into what it is today. The McCabe's 12 year old son George became a full time business partner of his parents in 1982. He is responsible for creating the company's "Hams & Jams" mail-order business and catalog. In 1985 the McCabe's closed the motel portion of the property. The motel building was later converted to space for mail orders, storage and a special dining room. The cafe became famous for its biscuits, jams, and country ham. In 2003 the McCabe family sold the property to a group of investors who closed it for a year to renovate and modernize it. The project took a total of five months to complete and involved the additions of a new kitchen, new restrooms and additional seating. The old motel building was converted to a Hams & Jams Country Market and the Loveless Motel Shops. Perhaps the most famous aspect of the property is the sign at the highway. The sign is a rare example of an operation neon sign. Most of the buildings on the property are original. The motel features one level and features the same architectural design as motels from the mid 20th century. The cafe is housed in original home. The home is an example of the Craftsman or Bungalow architectural style. The Loveless Cafe is still popular among the locals, tourists, and celebrities. The Loveless Cafe has never been listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This could be due to a number of factors, but most likely the property is in violation of the National Register's "50 Year Rule." This rule states that a property's period of significance must end fifty years prior to the property's nomination date, in order for the property to be eligible. The early 2000s renovations most likely set the property back a bit too. Either way the Loveless Cafe is still a Nashville icon.

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