Major pizza chain to open first Tennessee store in Midtown

One of the nation's 25 largest pizza chains by sales has secured space in the Midtown building long home to Salon FX for its first Tennessee location.

Donatos Pizza has finalized a lease and applied for a permit to update about half the building's space, according to Tom Santor, Donatos Pizza spokesman.

Salon FX, which operates from the entirety of the space, will eventually relocate to the building's other half.

The building (see the property here courtesy of Google Maps) is located at 1915 Broadway and within a few blocks of three pizza joints (DaSano, Two Boots and Soulshine Pizza Factory) that are still relatively new to the bustling district. 

Headquartered in suburban Columbus, Ohio, and founded in 1963, Donatos operates approximately 150 locations in six states, with the majority located in Ohio. The sites with the closest proximity to Nashville are located in Somerset, Kentucky, and in North Alabama (three stores).

According to pizzatoday.com, Donatos ranked as the nation's 22nd largest pizza chain in 2014, with the company recording $162 million in gross sales for that year. In 2011, Technomic.com ranked Donatos No. 1 for sales in the fast-casual pizza chain segment.Santor said progress is being made on the future Midtown Donatos but declined to disclose details.

"We haven't finalized our plans in terms of the store," he said.

However, sources who asked to go unnamed said that the Midtown Donatos would rank among the nation's most distinctive pizzerias if the concept being considered is implemented effectively.

Salon FX has operated from the site since 1992 and is one Nashville's most established businesses of its type. According to the sources, the salon's looming space downsizing is not a reflection on its business, which remains strong.

Stan Snipes, senior advisor with the Nashville office of Sperry Van Ness | Investec Realty Services, had the lease listing for the building's owner.