DONELSON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Donelson is a well-established community just six miles east of downtown Nashville.
And any local will tell you that once someone moves there, it's rare they ever pick up and move somewhere else.
We recently visited Caliber Coffee along Lebanon Rd., where we talked with folks about Donelson and what makes the area stand out from other places around the county.
"I love the community. Everybody's so friendly," One resident said. "And they're also so genuine too."
And we spoke with one woman who knows exactly what's happening in and around the community, Terri Nutter, executive director of the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce.
She said what's keeping the area's economy strong and its character alive is collaboration between business owners and the way those entrepreneurs make their customers and colleagues feel welcome.
"There's a community that is supportive, large and small business, supportive of each other. It's like the more the merrier," Nutter said. "I think that's part of the pride of the area because we do support it and encourage it and the community buys into that they support."
With that in mind, we took a trip back to Caliber Coffee.
I spoke with the owners, Keith and Alaina Schwartz, and asked them why they're confident about their ability to compete with national chains in such a saturated market.
"Even now with the economy changing and things are very unsure. You see people stepping up and saying, 'Hey, how can I help? This is what I have. What do you need?' And you just see that rallying around each person," Alaina said.
Even the Schwartz's young kids, Colt and Ava Mei, are learning first-hand about how to be productive members of the community, and that being a good neighbor is key to success.
"But really what kept us in Nashville, it's both of us aren't originally from here. It was kind of that small town community vibe. And we fell in love with that," Keith said. "We really wanted to calibrate and kind of hold on to that ideal."
Terri with the Chamber actually told me that small shops like theirs truly capture the essence of Donelson.
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