Why There’s Always a Line at This New Cool Springs Restaurant

If you’ve driven down Mallory Lane at lunchtime lately, odds are you’ve seen cars circling a crowded parking lot and a line of folks waiting patiently to get inside the newest restaurant.

In a part of town that surely isn’t short on dining options, the popularity should be enough to pique your interest. But if you need a little more convincing, we caught up with the team to learn more about Truce, an all-day dining restaurant. 

Truce focuses on chef-crafted dishes made with clean ingredients, and the big twist is the quick service, so you can get your greens or fresh fish dishes on the go. It opened in mid-May to much fanfare at 1809 Mallory Lane in Cool Springs. 

Matt Frauenshuh, founder of Truce and CEO of Fourteen Foods (which operates Dairy Queen locations in the area), spent over a decade developing the concept. 

"This has been 10 years in the making for our family," Frauenshuh said. "Our dream was to create a restaurant unlike anything that exists."

The restaurant prepares more than 180 made-from-scratch items daily, including breakfast dishes like the Garden Goat Scramble, hand-breaded chicken, and house-made cinnamon sugar donuts. Lunch and dinner options include shareables like burrata and wagyu beef sliders, salads, sandwiches, and entrées such as the short rib French dip (my personal favorite!) and herb-crusted lemon dill salmon.

If you’re fueling up, there’s an expansive drink menu filled with coffee and latte options,  smoothies, lemonades, flavored sparkling water, and beer, wine, and mocktails. 

All dishes use organic ingredients whenever possible and are free from artificial additives and seed oils. Truce partners with local purveyors including Sequatchie Cove Farms for pasture-raised organic eggs, Benton's Bacon, Springer Mountain Farms for grass-fed chicken, and Nashville-based Charpier's Bakery.

Truce was inspired by Frauenshuh’s own family.

"My wife and I have four kids, and we're always on the go," he said. "We've felt firsthand how hard it can be to find a place where everyone at the table is happy and where you don't feel like you're compromising on quality just because you're short on time."

While Cool Springs has plenty of dining options, finding one that’s quick without being fast food and health-focused without being unapproachable can be a challenge. 

"We created Truce to bridge that gap with real, clean ingredients, no artificial additives, no seed oils, and a menu designed to be both craveable and nourishing," he adds.

In addition to nourishing its own community, the Truce team is focused on spreading the love beyond our zip codes. All proceeds from the Truce Latte and Truce Toast menu items are donated to Love One International, a Nashville-based nonprofit providing medical care to children and families in Uganda.

While the drive-thru is expected to open in the coming months, Truce has a mobile app for guests to place an order for pickup inside the restaurant or in the mobile lane. 

The 4,530-square-foot space includes a dining room, bar, and community patio. Truce is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with brunch service until 2 p.m. on weekends. Learn more at EatTruce.com.