Coyote Ugly Saloon reopens tonight

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Coyote Ugly Saloon reopens its doors on Wednesday night after being closed for almost 18 months after the Christmas Day bombing on Second Avenue North.

Signs of life are coming back to Second Avenue. The staff at Coyote Ugly explained what has gone into getting to this day.

“There’s a lot guilt to know that we actually have the ability to and some of our other friends and businesses down the street don’t, then all of a sudden you get excited. You get to redesign the place,” Coyote Ugly CEO and Founder Liliana Lovell said.

The staff at Coyote Ugly said they are beyond excited to bring the well-known bar back to Music City.

Unfortunately, the building had significant damage from the Christmas Day bombing. Crews demolished the entire storefront, and the overall cost of repairs was more than $200,000.

“We’re just excited to finally be back open,” General Manager Lizzie Jones said.

Tommy Buchheit, Director of Operations at Coyote Ugly Saloon, recalled waking up to a phone call early Christmas morning and watching it all unfold from his Texas home.

“I can watch the news reports and videos, and then my life feed on camera, watching water flooding in the bar, the damage to the outside, all of the camera views that we had. It was almost like a war zone,” Buchheit said. “To be down for so long, especially starting on Christmas morning, surviving to be back open a year and a half later, and everything that has come together, it means the world to us.”

The new space has about $500,000 in renovations. There’s also a hidden speakeasy inside that they’ve added to the bar. They are still looking to hire more staff.

“My hope is that they come down and they help us on Second Avenue because while we’re opening, a lot of places aren’t, and we need everybody to make sure they know Second Avenue,” Lovell said.

The doors open to the public at 9 p.m.

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