The story of the Butter Cake Babe Coffee Café begins one quiet, sunny afternoon in the autumn of 2010. As Julie and Supe Granda leisurely strolled through the Nashville Farmers’ Market for their assortment of vegetables and sundries, they noticed a glaring omission.
Still in the throes of recovery from the great flood of that year, the market was slowly coming back to its feet. Six months ago, the whole place had been under water.
Many of her vendors had not returned. Others, had relocated elsewhere. Vendor stalls, that once housed bustling storefronts and restaurants, stood eerily vacant. The Grandas noticed the conspicuous absence of coffee and pastries.
Julie, a recent transplant to Nashville (from her home town of Springfield, Illinois), had already owned a coffee shop. For the past nine years, she had operated her award-winning, Sunsup Koffee Kafe, having garnered first place in the Illinois Times’ Best of Reader’s Poll for ‘best coffee shop’ and ‘best food deal’. She was elected and proudly served as a board member for the Springfield Convention Center.
St. Louis native, Supe, a long-time resident of Music City, had spent the better part of the last four decades, traveling and recording as a founding/current member of stalwart country rock band, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
Both, sat in the quiet afternoon of the Market House - in dire need of a cup of joe and a sweet treat. For the past several months, the two had been actively scouting locations for Julie to set up shop and, once again, utilize her barista and baking skills.
Light bulbs went off over their heads. They boldly walked into the market’s office to make a few inquiries. Here, they met with members of the board, who gave a rousing ‘thumbs up’. Work immediately began on the Butter Cake Babe Coffee Café.
In the spring of 2011, Julie’s doors were aromatically thrown open. Having brought her recipes for butter cake with her, the tasty treat is a traditional staple in bakeries throughout the Midwest. It would now be introduced to Nashville.
We write this letter with very heavy hearts. For the past few months, we have struggled with the decision of whether we were going to be able to re-open Butter Cake Babe. Unfortunately, we were not able to. Those of you, who’ve stopped by the market to visit us, have already noticed.
We mulled dozens of scenarios around our kitchen table. Every one led us to the same conclusion. We are taking this pandemic, seriously. Everyone has their struggles. We are no different. This was a very emotional and difficult decision – one, we wrestled with through many sleepless nights. We know you’ve also had sleepless nights. Even as I write this note, I feel tears welling.
Though, we will no longer maintain the storefront, we will retain the name. We will still be near an oven – and Julie will still have her scrumptious recipes. You may still contact us at our usual numbers. Please do. We would love to hear from you - for either business, or monkey business. If feasible, we’ll deliver the sweets. We’ll also be creating a web site, soon.
Over the past nine years, we’ve had many wonderful customers and have made some beautiful friendships. We absolutely love, value and adore each and every one of you.
Though, clouds may linger, the sun will shine again and we’ll all dance in its warmth. Be safe. Be well. You hold very dear places in our hearts.
We thank you for your time, your devotion and your patronage.
Peace, love and butter cake,
Julie & Supe
(217) 341-6813
(615) 361-1685