Former Tennessee Titans player Keith Bulluck might be the owner of the newly-opened Just Love Coffee in Franklin, located just outside of Nashville, but he is doing much, much more. The 43-year-old is also as hands on as possible, doing everything from creating menu items to picking out the decor, and even running the cash register.
“I was here the other day, and someone was like, ‘Does Keith Bulluck have anything to do with this?'” Keith recalled to The Tennessean. “If you don’t know me by face you might not recognize me, as I am doing this in my shop open and close. When they realize, I think it’s great. It’s been fun getting to know my community. I met 10 different families just this weekend.”
The New York native knew, even at the height of his career with the NFL, that he was destined for more than just being a professional athlete, which is why he took business classes, even while playing for both the Titans and the New York Giants.
“I am also an owner in the actual franchise,” he explained. “My space is unique because it’s a signature store. My store is in the suburbs, and I need it to have the city feel, my personal history and Nashville’s history tied in. You know as athletes, you only have a window of time to play. I feel that people always have it in their mind that all they can do is play sports. There’s other challenges in life. I have other plays in line that follow this: less talk, more work.”
The Just Love Coffee in Franklin opened in the middle of the coronaviurs pandemic, but Keith says that, even now –– or maybe especially now –– was the perfect time for him to open his own Just Love Coffee location.
“We provide a good atmosphere, and it prepares me for what you can’t prepare for,” he acknowledged. “You know something is going to happen when you own a business. I just try and be prepared. In a year and half, this will be one of the best places you can be.”
Keith also hopes his Just Love Coffee will be a haven for customers, if only for a few minutes.
“When they leave here I want them to feel good about themselves, about what’s going on,” Keith previously told WKRN. “I want this to be a space for people to come and clear their mind, just a space to feel great.”