The Shoney's sign that towered next to Nissan Stadium for years came down on the evening of Oct. 14, 2026, after the restaurant at 110 Interstate Drive had already shut its doors. Crews repainted the sign's pole and swapped in a PMC parking sign in its place, erasing a fixture that countless drivers along the interstate used to navigate the area.
For many Nashvillians, that sign was more than a restaurant marker. According to WKRN News 2, residents relied on it as a landmark for finding their cars after games at the stadium, and its disappearance left some feeling like they'd lost a piece of the neighborhood. The sign itself didn't go far — it's now sitting temporarily outside Joslin and Son Signs along Murfreesboro Pike.
The sign’s removal comes as Nashville prepares for a new stadium. The new stadium is planned to open in February 2027, after which the existing stadium is slated for demolition.
A Landmark Tied to Family Memories
Elizabeth Ratliff called the sign a legendary Nashville staple, telling the station its removal made her sad. She said she and her best friend Melissa had frequented the Shoney's for skillet cookies over the course of about 12 years, a ritual tied to one small, specific detail of the restaurant rather than the building itself.
Caitlan Dillingham, who was born and raised in Nashville, remembered Shoney's as a place where families gathered. She posted a photo of the sign on Instagram Wednesday night and said she received many comments and messages afterward. Dillingham said the removal felt like a marker of change, as Nashville makes way for new things, and noted that people had asked to buy the sign outright — she directed them to contact Shoney's. The station reports the community has shown substantial interest in finding the sign a permanent home.
Shoney's Still Has a Presence in the Nashville Area
Shoney’s roots stretch well beyond Nashville: the company traces its start to a drive-in opened in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1947. In 1977, the chain ended its Big Boy affiliation and introduced its own Shoney Bear mascot as it expanded its family-dining business. That long evolution helps explain why the chain’s signs and restaurants carry memories for customers across generations.
Despite the closure at 110 Interstate Drive, Shoney's isn't leaving Nashville behind. Gill Duff, chief marketing officer for Best American Hospitality — the parent company of Shoney's and 7Pie Pizza — said per a company statement that Shoney's has three thriving restaurants in the Nashville area, including a location on Donelson Pike as well as locations in Lebanon and Dickson.
Duff said the sign's removal signals the beginning of a new era for Shoney's, per the same statement. Best American Hospitality said it plans to expand in Nashville and is working to open new restaurants through both franchise and corporate expansion, and the company said it is seeking team members for those new locations.
A Co-Branded Comeback Planned for Memphis
The chain's next visible move is set for Memphis, where Shoney's plans to reopen its restaurant there in early 2027 as a co-branded location with 7Pie Pizza, according to the company statement relayed by the station. That restaurant will offer both 7Pie Pizza and Shoney's menu items, including an all-you-care-to-eat fresh food bar — a nod to the buffet-style offerings long associated with the brand.
The Shoney's property at 110 Interstate Drive itself sits on a 0.85-acre site, according to earlier reporting from tennessean.com, and the lot is now used for parking operated by PMC near Nissan Stadium, per the company's own site listing. For now, the fate of the old sign remains unsettled, and no permanent home, relocation date, or preservation plan has been confirmed.
