Meet Justen Cheney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Justen Cheney.

Justen, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been cooking my whole life with family and friends – who I learned most of my cooking skills from.

I got my first job in a restaurant at 16 years old and have worked in every position in restaurants from dishwasher to management in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Nashville, and New York City.

After working for and learning from chefs and restauranteurs all over the country, I finally decided it was time to try ownership myself and that’s when the dream for Spicy Boy’s was born.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not – converting a small historic house in East Nashville into a fully functioning restaurant and the bar felt almost impossible at times.

Space constraints, passing through all the normal Nashville building codes, passing through historic building code that protects historic property, ADA compliance, parking constraints, and obtaining liquor and beer licenses in a residential neighborhood were all major struggles.

Throw on top of that all the struggles everyone has faced in the pandemic era of America – inflation for building materials, supply chain issues, finding good contractors to help me realize my dream, etc.

There were many times the goal didn’t seem possible, but we found a way to make it happen and have been successfully open for two months now.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our goal is to be known as welcoming neighborhood restaurants and bars – to be a place where everyone can feel comfortable getting great food and drinks in an informal and relaxed environment. Anyone familiar with South Louisiana and New Orleans culture will automatically know that that welcoming and inclusive environment is the epitome of South Louisiana culture.

We want people to feel transported to that place through all of their senses when they are in our restaurant – through taste, smell, feel, and atmosphere. After traveling and living in many different places, it is something I feel to be virtually unmatched in any other place on earth and our mission is to cultivate that feeling of living in the moment and sharing great food, drinks, and company.

There are so many things about Louisiana culture that nurture and help create an atmosphere like the one we are trying to create – crawfish boils, great music, and Louisiana football. Those are all things you can find at Spicy Boy’s and that is something we pride ourselves on.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Cliche, but important – if you have a great concept that you believe in and genuinely want to share with others, don’t give up. Nothing great comes easy and I felt like my dream would never find the light of day many times.

Now it has and the reception and support we have received from the Nashville community have been nothing short of incredible – it makes all of the hard work so worth it.

Pricing:

• Appetizers from 6-10$
• Po boy sandwiches from 10-22$ (half and whole sizes)
• Average draft beer prices of 6$
• Classic New Orleans cocktails and frozen daiquiris for around 10$
• Rotating wine selections.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: spicyboysnashville.com
• Instagram: @spicyboysnashville

Image Credits
Cody Jordan, Sara Cheney, Justen Cheney, and Cam Baechle