Brad Paisley and wife help open free Nashville grocery store with $1m gift
Country music star Brad Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, have opened a second location of their nonprofit grocery store in Nashville. The store provides free groceries to eligible families in a dignified, supermarket-style environment to combat food insecurity.
Why it matters
The initiative represents a shift in charitable models, moving away from traditional food pantries toward systems that prioritize recipient choice and dignity.
In August 2024, country music star Brad Paisley and his wife, actor Kimberly Williams-Paisley, pledged the first $1 million towards a $5 million campaign to open a second location of their nonprofit grocery store in Nashville, Tennessee. The new site opened on January 14, 2026, at TriStar Centennial Medical Center, allowing eligible families to select groceries without paying. Reports by Southern Living, TriStar Health and local broadcaster WSMV document the expansion, which aims to help more people facing food insecurity while preserving their dignity and freedom of choice.The store, called The Store, was co-founded by the couple and first opened in March 2020 on the campus of Belmont University, Paisley’s alma mater. Unlike a conventional food pantry, where people may receive pre-packed food boxes, it operates like a grocery store.
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