10 Old-School American Businesses In Tennessee That Are Still Going Strong
Remember when businesses didn’t need a TikTok account to stay busy? Tennessee still has a few that missed that memo, and we’re glad they did.
Some of these places have been around for generations, through changing neighborhoods, changing tastes, and enough trends to fill a history book.
Yet somehow, they’re still here. Still serving. Still printing.
Still doing things their own way. That’s the charm. You can walk through the door and get a little taste of what Tennessee looked like decades ago, without the museum admission.
And honestly, there’s something pretty cool about that. In a world where businesses come and go faster than you can update your phone, these old-school survivors have figured out how to stick around.
So, what’s their secret? A whole lot of history, plenty of loyal customers, and probably zero interest in becoming something they’re not.
1. A. Schwab
If Beale Street had a heartbeat, it would pulse right through A. Schwab.
This legendary general store opened in 1876, making it the only original business still standing on the entire strip.
Tucked at 163 Beale St in Memphis, TN 38103, it has outlasted everything around it with remarkable stubbornness and charm.
Abraham Schwab, an immigrant with a sharp eye for what people needed, founded the shop. It started with shoes and boots, then grew to include clothing, hardware, and eventually some of the most wonderfully odd items you will ever find under one roof.
Feather boas, voodoo supplies, and quirky souvenirs share shelf space like old friends.
The motto says it all: “If you can’t find it here, skip it!” Upstairs, a small museum holds Beale Street artifacts that tell the neighborhood’s rich story.
There is even an old-fashioned soda fountain that still serves cold treats. The Schwab family ran the place for 136 years before new owners took over in 2011, promising to protect everything that made it special.
They kept that promise.
Walking through A. Schwab feels less like shopping and more like thumbing through a living scrapbook of Memphis history.
2. Burke’s Book Store
Burke’s Book Store is proof that a great bookstore can outlast almost anything. Founded in 1875 by Walter Burke Sr., it began life at 180 North Main Street, selling books, newspapers, and toys to a city that was hungry for stories.
That hunger has never gone away, and neither has Burke’s.
Now located at 936 S Cooper St, Memphis, TN 38104, the store sits in the heart of the Cooper-Young neighborhood, a fitting home for a place this full of character. Over the years, three generations of the Burke family shaped it.
Walter Burke Jr. added textbooks in 1946, and William Burke brought in used and rare books that made collectors very happy.
Current owners Corey and Cheryl Mesler took over in 2000 and have kept the spirit alive beautifully. Burke’s survived the 1878 Yellow Fever epidemic, the Great Depression, and two world wars.
That kind of track record is not an accident.
It is a testament to what happens when a community decides a place is worth fighting for. If you love first editions, Memphis literature, or just the smell of a room full of old books, Burke’s Book Store belongs on your must-visit list.
3. Hatch Show Print
Hatch Show Print is the kind of place that makes you believe in the magic of making things by hand. Operating since 1879, this working print shop has been crafting concert posters and promotional materials for longer than most American institutions have existed.
Brothers Charles and Herbert Hatch started it all, and what they built has never stopped rolling.
Located at 224 Rep. John Lewis Way S, Nashville, TN 37203, the shop is now part of the Country Music Hall of Fame, which it joined in 1992.
That connection feels right, because Hatch has printed for legends. Grand Ole Opry stars, Bill Monroe, Minnie Pearl, and yes, Elvis Presley himself all had posters made here.
Every single one was printed by hand.
Vintage type and hand-carved artwork give each piece a warmth that no digital printer can replicate. The shop still prints hundreds of jobs every year and offers tours and educational programs for people who want to understand the craft.
Watching the press in action is genuinely thrilling. Hatch Show Print is not just a print shop.
It is a living museum where art, music, and Tennessee history collide on every single sheet of paper.
4. Coletta’s Italian Restaurant
Coletta’s Italian Restaurant has a story that starts with ice cream and ends with a pizza that changed Memphis forever. Emil Coletta opened the place in 1923, and what began as a simple ice cream shop gradually grew into a full Italian restaurant that has been feeding the city for over a century.
Not many restaurants can say that.
Sitting at 1063 S Parkway E, Memphis, TN 38106, Coletta’s holds the title of Memphis’ oldest restaurant. But the real claim to fame is the BBQ pizza, which the restaurant introduced to Memphis back in the 1950s.
Elvis Presley loved it.
That alone should tell you everything you need to know about the quality.
The menu features homemade Italian classics like lasagna, ravioli, and manicotti, all prepared with the kind of care that only comes from generations of practice. Five generations of the Coletta family have kept the tradition going, with Jerry Coletta currently at the helm.
The interior is wonderfully old school, complete with a grotto room that feels like a warm hug. The South Parkway location celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, and the city celebrated right along with it.
5. Arcade Restaurant
The Arcade Restaurant has been feeding Memphis since 1919, making it the oldest cafe in the city with a story worth savoring slowly. Speros Zepatos, a Greek immigrant with big dreams, founded the place in a small wooden building where food was cooked on potbelly stoves.
That humble beginning led to something truly remarkable.
In 1925, Speros constructed a Greek revival building that gave the restaurant its bones. His son Harry later shaped the interior into the classic 1950s diner look that still greets visitors today at 540 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103.
Vintage decor and glowing neon signs make it feel like walking straight into another era.
Elvis Presley was a regular here and had a favorite booth that faced a mirror so he could watch the door. The restaurant has appeared in films and on the Food Network, earning fans far beyond Tennessee.
Four generations of family have kept the kitchen running, serving breakfast all day alongside lunch specials and dinner.
The Arcade is the kind of place where the food tastes better because of everything it has witnessed. Every booth has a story, and the best way to hear them is to sit down and order something good.
6. Dyer’s Burgers
Dyer’s Burgers is legendary for one very specific reason, and it is not something you will find at any other burger spot on the planet.
Since 1912, this Beale Street institution has been frying its burgers in the same cooking grease. Yes, you read that correctly.
The same grease, continuously strained and replenished, has been going since Elmer “Doc” Dyer first fired up the fryer.
Located at 205 Beale St, Memphis, TN 38103, Dyer’s has become as much a part of the street’s identity as the music pouring out of every doorway. When the restaurant moved locations, the grease was transported with a police escort.
That is the kind of dedication that earns a place in the history books.
The burgers themselves are beautifully simple. Thin patties, fried in that famous grease, topped with mustard, pickle, and onions.
There is nothing flashy about the menu, and that is exactly the point. Ownership has changed over the decades, but the tradition has never wavered.
Dyer’s is the rare kind of place where the cooking method itself becomes the legend.
One bite and you will understand why Memphis has been obsessing over these burgers for more than a hundred years.
7. Loveless Cafe
Loveless Cafe is what happens when Southern cooking becomes a religion and a roadside stop becomes a pilgrimage site. Lon and Annie Loveless opened the cafe in 1951 on Highway 100, west of Nashville, serving chicken and biscuits straight from their home kitchen.
That simple, generous spirit has never left the building.
Now found at 8400 Hwy 100, Nashville, TN 37221, Loveless has grown into a full-on Tennessee institution without losing an ounce of its homey soul. The biscuit recipe has not changed since day one, and on a busy day the kitchen turns out up to 10,000 of them.
Paired with house-made preserves and country ham, those biscuits are the stuff of Southern legend.
National publications have praised it, celebrities have visited and signed photos for the walls, and a country market on the property sells specialty foods for those who cannot bear to leave empty-handed.
There are also event spaces and a food truck for when the main dining room fills up, which it does often. Loveless Cafe is not just a restaurant.
It is a warm reminder that the best food often comes from the simplest intentions, made with love and served without pretense.
8. Elliston Place Soda Shop
There is something deeply comforting about a soda shop that has been doing the same thing well since 1939. Elliston Place Soda Shop traces its roots to Lynn Chandler, who purchased a soda fountain inside Elliston Pharmacy, a neighborhood staple that first opened its doors in 1912.
That layered history gives this place a depth that is hard to find anywhere else.
Sitting at 2105 Elliston Pl, Nashville, TN 37203, the shop is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a recognition that feels absolutely earned.
Lynn Chandler is also credited with pioneering the beloved “meat-and-three” meal format, which became a cornerstone of Tennessee dining culture. Burgers, shakes, and pies keep the menu gloriously simple and satisfying.
The business faced uncertain times before Tony and Lisa Giarratana stepped in to save it in 2019. They moved it two doors down in 2021 into a larger space that now includes a stage for live music.
The retro booths and neon signs made the journey intact.
Elliston Place Soda Shop is one of those rare spots where nostalgia and genuine quality meet without any awkwardness. Every milkshake feels like a small celebration of everything that still makes neighborhood spots worth protecting.
9. The Peanut Shoppe
The Peanut Shoppe is the kind of place that hits you with an incredible smell before you even reach the door. Fresh-roasted peanuts, warm popcorn, and sweet chocolate fill the air around 121 S Main St, Memphis, TN 38103, pulling passersby off the sidewalk like a friendly, fragrant trap.
It has been doing exactly this since 1949.
Originally a Planters Peanut Shop, the business built a loyal following on Main Street in downtown Memphis through decades of fresh, honest snacking.
An antique roaster handles the peanuts daily, giving each batch that signature warm crunch that no factory bag can replicate. Roasted nuts, chocolates, candies, and freshly popped popcorn make up the core of the menu, and everything feels wonderfully handcrafted.
Rida Abuzaineh acquired the shop in 1993, and the Lauck family also became part of its ownership story along the way.
The shop moved from its original spot in 2021 but kept every bit of its old-school charm in the new location. The Peanut Shoppe is a downtown Memphis treasure that proves not every great business needs a complicated concept.
Sometimes a bag of perfectly roasted peanuts is all it takes to make someone’s entire afternoon better.
10. Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams
Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams is the kind of place that top chefs travel hours to visit, and once you understand what goes on inside, you get it completely. The story begins in 1947 when Albert H.
Hicks, a dairy farmer, started curing meats out in Madisonville, Tennessee. The craft was rooted in patience and old-world technique from the very beginning.
Allan Benton took over the operation in 1973, joined by his father B.D. Benton, and together they moved the business to its current home at 2603 Hwy 411 N, Madisonville, TN 37354.
The curing process here is deliberately slow.
Salt, brown sugar, and sodium nitrite are applied, and then the hams are left to age for anywhere from nine to eighteen months. Many are wood-smoked, giving them a deep, complex flavor that is genuinely hard to describe until you taste it.
Prosciutto, bacon, and sausage round out the product line, all made with the same commitment to traditional methods.
Allan cures over 12,000 hams each year and has earned a Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award for preserving this Appalachian food tradition. Benton’s is not just a producer of great cured meats.
It is a living archive of Southern culinary heritage, and every slice tells that story. Have you ever tasted something that made you wish you could slow time down?