Main Street Annual Celebration awards three downtown businesses for their achievements in 2023.

Original use of the building was a café/gas station.

During the late 1800’s the location of 124 N. Maple Street was called “The Jordan Block.”   in 1887 it was referred to as 121 Railroad or Depot Street. In 1945 a filling station occupied the first floor and later a cafe.  Most of us remember it as the Middle TN. Coin and Jewelry Exchange Building. 

 

By creating a restaurant, the owners have brought the space back to look of its original use. The interior was stripped to the original walls and ceilings. The garage doors replicate the original gas station feel. Exposed brick walls and original rafters bring the space back to the time of its original use. All furniture and fixtures were chosen to respond to the historic use of space.

 

A restaurant space with a modern industrial feel created as a destination space. Interior space is eye appealing. The venue includes music and sports events on televisions along the back wall. The building's exterior was maintained to coordinate with all surrounding structures in the historic district.

 

The restaurant space is composed of various building materials and fixtures that create a high-quality space. Exterior garage doors can be lifted to allow people to connect to the outdoors and add an innovative design to the square. The architectural design incorporates a variety of materials and textures that balance the space.

 

The restaurant is an anchor and focal point of the corner of Maple and College Streets. The building's exterior is very recognizable from a distance. The design compliments other existing businesses in the area.

Domenico’s Italian Deli, opened by Jeff and Scarlett Murphy, opened in January 2020, a month before Covid caused them to shutdown.  They were able to overcome the next year and thrive, something many new small businesses weren’t able to achieve. Scarlett describes her husband and business partner as, “not an owner that sits behind the scenes, he loves being at the deli, he loves working with his employees and being the “face of the deli.” He works his tail off daily to make sure the service, product and overall experience at the deli meets his incredibly high standards. Jeff is a proud man, so not only does he work so hard to support our family and our three young boys, but he also does it to honor his mother, father, and grandparents.  He loves his family’s heritage. He loves the fact that he can bring a piece of his first home here to Murfreesboro, and he loves sharing a piece of himself with a community that means so much to him. 

 In addition to the effort, he puts into the deli on a day-to-day basis, he puts an equal amount of effort into his employees.  Jeff truly cares about the success of his employees both at work and outside of work.  He works with them elbow to elbow every day and pushes them to pay attention to the little details that make the Deli’s sandwiches so great.  We have an incredible group of women and men that work for us, and I believe they too deserve recognition in the effort they give daily.”

Scarlett Murphy shared, “Domenico’s Deli maybe young, but when people come there, it feels like home.  It feels like a place that has been on the square forever.  Our customers can sense the family atmosphere, they can read about the story and how deep the roots go, and some leave their feeling not just full, but also like family.  Jeff puts his heart and soul into the Deli and pushes every day to be better for himself, for his employees, for his family and for the community.  He jokes that I may teach engineering, but he is an ‘engineer of sandwiches’ and though he maybe joking, I would say a vast majority of the people that have had the pleasure of a Domenico’s sandwich would agree.”

 

They have revamped the space, pulling away old drywall and exposing the original brick. They kept with the old school deli style to coexist with the historic downtown feel. They painted the outside of the building a more appropriate color for the downtown ‘vibe.’ They provide outside seating for more options to come downtown and enjoy hanging out with friends.

 Domenico’s participates in all downtown events, hosting artists for the Boro Art Crawl and Sip, Shop, and Stroll events, and opening for Wine Around the Square. They participate in Trick or Treat Around the Square and host a Christmas parade watch party. They partner with Simply Pure Sweets as their bread provider and serve Franklin’s Fruit Tea, Mayday Brewery, Cedar Glade Brews, and Panther Creek beverages...all local businesses. They provide a quick lunch for those on the square and offer indoor seating for authentic Italian style sandwiches.

The 2024 recipient of the Doug Young Downtown Leadership Award is one who has served diligently for approximately 20 years as a member of the Main Street Murfreesboro Board of Directors. Sean Gilliland is a civic leader, serving as a former field representative for Bart Gordon and for the past 14 years as the Chief Information Officer at Primary Care and Hope Clinic. He has been married to his wife Anne for the past 27 years and together they have raised a talented and successful daughter, Molly. Sean is a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church where he has participated in the choir and as worship leader. Sean epitomizes the qualities of our beloved Councilman, Doug Young, in so many ways. Sean is intentional, strategic, deliberate, and compassionate toward others. We could easily speak of his intellect; we could compliment his fantastic competence, point to him as a person of strong principles- a truly moral man whose honesty and integrity are unquestioned. We could even acknowledge his impeccable attention to details. Instead, we will sum it up by saying Main Street is grateful that Sean has devoted a significant amount of time, leadership, and expertise to strengthening our organization in all areas. Therefore, it is altogether fitting and proper that we should honor Sean Gilliland because throughout the years, he has honored Main Street Murfreesboro Board of Directors in service by his selflessness, his dedication, and his spirit of excellence.