NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The story of Nashville restaurant Varallo's goes back 119 years. That story appears to be over. Signs posted on two doors facing Fourth Ave. simply say 'Closed. Sorry.'
Over the years, NewsChannel 5 has been to Varallo's many times, usually to talk about their chili.
"Chili was the most famous," said Todd Varallo. "We did a three-way. You had spaghetti, a tamale, and chili on top. That's kinda what made us famous."
Todd's basement is practically a museum to Varallo's.
"My grandfather used to type the menu every morning," he remembered. "I have the typewriters upstairs he used to use."
The story begins with Todd's great-grandfather, Frank Varallo Sr. He'd already been selling chili in Nashville for a while when he opened the first Varallo's in 1907. It was around where Hume-Fogg High is today.
The restaurant later moved to Church Street in 1919. Varallo's stayed in that area for nearly 80s years.
"The chili was, like, 15 cents a bowl," Todd said, pointing to an old menu from the early Church Street years.
The menu also had some items you wouldn't expect. Oysters.
One of NewsChannel 5's visits was in 1998. In that video, we see Todd's grandfather, Frank Varallo Jr., hard at work at 85-years-old.
"He said that was his retirement job," Todd said. "They used to be open seven days a week, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When they started closing for Sundays, he didn't know what to do! He had 52 days a year off! That generation worked hard."
They did. Todd's grandmother Eva was the hostess and would work the register.
"It's just wonderful to know people really love and care for you, you know," Eva said in the 1998 interview. "That's what I'll miss most."
This 1998 visit was a goodbye for Frank Jr. and Eva as they closed the Church Street Varallo's. By this point, Todd and his brother Tony were running the Varallo's on Fourth Ave. Across several locations, Varallo's truly watched the city change.
"Everybody used to shop downtown," Todd explained. "Everything was downtown. Then, it turned to tourists."
In 2019, Todd retired and Varallo's has been run by Bob Peabody since. Peabody said he was unable to negotiate a new lease.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with all these big pictures," Todd said, looking around his basement.
Varallo's has, of course, always been part Todd's life, so this ending of the story is a little bittersweet. However, if the name Varallo's doesn't continue in some way, Todd's hope is maybe a place can serve the famous chili.
Ultimately, this is how he sees it; even if the run is over, what a run this has been.
"Oh yeah, Nashville's oldest restaurant," he nodded. "That's a blessing in itself it lasted as long as it did. Six generations."
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
The Jefferson Street Sound Museum is a great little gem in North Nashville. The founder and curator turned his home into a museum to keep the legacy of historic Jefferson street alive. Now, it's been named a stop on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. Aaron Cantrell takes us inside.
- Lelan Statom
