Acclaimed East Nashville artisanal pasta maker to open its third Middle Tennessee location on Lebanon Road in Fall 2026.
MT. JULIET, Tenn. — August 15, 2026 — Nicoletto’s Pasta Co., the acclaimed, family-owned pasta maker and fast-casual restaurant brand founded by brothers Ryan and Danny Nicoletto, announced today plans to open its newest restaurant in Mt. Juliet. Located at 11324 Lebanon Road, the new site will mark the brothers’ first restaurant in Wilson County and their largest footprint to date. Construction is set to begin immediately, with a targeted opening in Fall 2026.
Building on the success of their flagship East Nashville storefront and the high-demand Donelson location they opened in 2023, the Mt. Juliet restaurant will offer Nicoletto’s signature fresh small-batch bronze-cut pastas, house-made sauces, and Italian beef and sausage-and-pepper heroes. The expanded space will also feature a curated market of Italian and specialty products, a coffee and espresso bar, and beer and wine service.
“We have watched Mt. Juliet grow and felt the energy and connection of the community here,” said co-founder Danny Nicoletto. “We have just been waiting for the right moment and the right location. We are so excited to have found it and we have already been welcomed with so much warmth and enthusiasm. We can’t wait for Wilson County families to pull up seats at our tables.”
Raised in a close-knit Italian family in Indiana, Ryan and Danny Nicoletto followed in the musical footsteps of their father Tony, an accomplished drummer. The brothers toured together and settled in Nashville in 2010 to pursue music. Ryan took on side hustles in design, while Danny worked as a guitar tech. But after Tony’s death in 2012, the brothers wanted to honor their father’s name and the Italian traditions he taught them. They dreamed of a new partnership: a restaurant under the family name, where everything would be made from scratch and done right. Nicoletto’s Pasta Company was born.
Converting a small warehouse in East Nashville, the brothers tracked down and hand-repaired vintage pasta-making equipment sourced from Chicago and Italy. After more than a year of refining their methods and recipes—and selling dried pasta at local farmers markets and to top Nashville chefs—they opened their first brick-and-mortar spot on Gallatin Avenue in 2016 next to Mickey’s Tavern.
Nicoletto’s quickly grew into an East Nashville favorite, leading to their successful expansion into Donelson—where they partnered with Mark Lineberry at Lineberry Properties, a passionate advocate for West Wilson County who worked closely with the brothers to secure and build out the new Mt. Juliet space.
“It’s truly an honor to prepare food for people, and we remain committed to serving our guests the meals we grew up eating and cooking in our family,” said co-founder Ryan Nicoletto. “This business has been a tribute to our dad, and carrying our family name and traditions to the people of Mt. Juliet is a proud next step for us.”
The new Mt. Juliet location will bring approximately 15 to 20 full- and part-time jobs to the local area. Jacob Keiser, an emerging local hospitality contractor with KSR Group, will be leading the construction of the 3,000-square-foot space. For updates, hiring announcements, and grand opening details, follow @NicolettosPasta on Instagram, Facebook, and X, or visit www.nicolettos.com.
About Nicoletto’s Pasta Co.
Founded in 2014 by brothers Ryan and Danny Nicoletto, Nicoletto’s Pasta Co. is a Nashvillebased producer of small-batch, artisanal fresh and dried pastas. Operating fast-casual Italian kitchens in East Nashville and Donelson, Nicoletto’s combines Old World Italian techniques with Midwestern heart, serving scratch-made pastas, signature sauces, and hot Italian heroes. Nicoletto’s artisan dried pastas and sauces can now be found in 500 stores nationwide, with a large launch into regional Kroger stores planned for September 2026. Learn more at www.nicolettos.com.
Media Contact: Ari Surdoval Chief Cannoli Officer surdoval@gmail.com (615) 557-3225
