Visiting Lebanon Poppie's 101 (blog 10)

Hey, friends! Welcome back to the Poppie's Blog! I am so excited for the next 2 blog posts to "introduce you" to the amazing communities and beautiful cities where Poppie's calls home. Our brick-and-mortar locations are our heart-beat: seeing smiling faces, making connections, and being able to serve the sweetest customers around is just part of why we do what we do. It is such a beautiful thing (as I choke back tears typing this) to see life-long friends support my dream, and also the miracle of total strangers becoming like family from shopping with us. That is the greatest gift Poppie's has given me. 

So, first on the docket, meet my hometown, Lebanon, Tennessee! This blog is all about what to do on your visit here.

Living here for the majority of my life, I can say that Lebanon has evolved into such a sweet city: big enough to have all the amenities you need, and small enough for everyone to know everyone, gossip travels fast, and people love hard.

Poppie's is located in the heart of Lebanon, on our Historic Downtown Square. If you're local, you know we are in the old "Seat's Studio," which was a running photography business for decades (both my grandparents AND my parents had their senior photos taken in our building!). As a kid, the square was full of vacant buildings and lawyers offices. Honestly, I thought it was haunted! It is truly a childhood dream come true to see our beautiful square revitalized and full of life; always bustling with people, new businesses, and events! 

So, while you're in Lebanon, whether you're driving in visiting from another city, or stopping by on your Nashville vacation, here's some things to do before or after your Poppie's visit while you're here! 

(**photo above by Ravenflight Web Media)

1) BREAKFAST! My all time favorite breakfast in town in from J. Clayborne's. Located on West Main Street, only around 2 miles from the square, Clayborne's has been a Lebanon Classic spot my entire life. My Poppie would take me there for the BEST homemade cake donuts and butter cookies, but now, its my favorite stop for buttermilk biscuits, gravy, bacon, and their legendary hash brown casserole! They also make the most delicious special occasion cakes. 

2) Shop the square shops! YES, I love to shop the other boutiques on the square! Not only do we all have such different and unique styles to choose from, but its also supporting my closest neighbors and friends. A bonus to shopping local here is to beat the pricey trendy Nashville boutique price points. Check out everything and everywhere to shop Downtown Lebanon here. 

3) Grab some coffee! Split Bean Roasting is just a one minute walk from Poppie's, on East Main. They roast their coffee beans in house and make the best cold brew in town, in my opinion! 

4) LUNCH! Check out Town Square Social (just across from Poppie's) for great American-style food, and the best smoked wings you'll find. OH, and order a brick oven pizza to share as an appetizer...you'll thank me later! If you're looking for a lighter option, or a different variation of flavor, I would also recommend trying Wildberry Cafe, Sassy Pecan, Painturos, or SAKE Japanese Grill, all within a short walk or drive from Downtown. 

5) DESSERT! If you're like me, every meal calls for a sweet treat afterwards! Main St. Mercantile and Creamery is three doors down from Poppie's and operated by my sweet cousin, Jake! They carry Bluebell Ice cream and are known for making the best chocolate milkshakes! Plus, they have adorable gifts and things, too. If you're looking for a dairy-free option, Sharky's Snoballs shaved ice is just a short walk from the square! Their pina collada flavor is SO good. 

6) EVENTS! I get goosebumps when I think about events at the Capitol Theatre. They re-opened this beautiful, historic gem my freshman year of college at Cumberland University, and have been a Lebanon staple for events ever since. If you can time your visit right, check their site for plays from their theatre companies that show there (literally, off-broadway quality!), or catch an old favorite movie showing!