Pelato Italian Restaurant Opening in Franklin, TN at Cool Springs

Pelato Is Bringing Brooklyn Italian to Franklin

Nashville's most talked-about Italian restaurant is heading south on I-65. Pelato — the Brooklyn Italian concept from the Scotto family that has become one of the region's most popular dining destinations since opening in Nashville's Germantown neighborhood in 2023 — is opening its third location at 1914 Galleria Boulevard in Franklin, in the former Party Fowl space near CoolSprings Galleria.

The Franklin location is a significant expansion. The 9,000-square-foot space is being fully redesigned and will seat 280 guests across a main dining room, private dining space, bar seating, and a fully enclosed 2,000-square-foot patio with drop-down walls and climate control — making it a genuinely four-season outdoor dining option.

What's on the Menu

Pelato's reputation is built on scratch-made Brooklyn Italian — handmade pastas, shareable small plates, and family recipes that the Scotto family has carried from New York to Nashville and now to Franklin. Signature dishes include the Radiatori Vodka pasta, Chicken Parmigiana, Burnt Broccolini, and Brooklyn-style Fried Calamari. All pastas are made in-house daily.

The dessert program is serious — house-made gelato, tiramisu, and San Gennaro Zeppoles served in a paper bag in the traditional style. The cocktail menu leans into Italian and Brooklyn influences, with frozen drinks that have become a calling card at the Nashville location.

Dinner service will launch seven days a week, with brunch added shortly after opening.

What It Means for Franklin's Dining Scene

Pelato's arrival continues a pattern of Nashville's best restaurant concepts choosing Franklin for expansion rather than looking elsewhere. For a city that has sometimes been characterized as a suburb with good chains, the sustained arrival of chef-driven, scratch-kitchen concepts is changing that narrative meaningfully.

For relocating families who have been told to temper their dining expectations when leaving major coastal cities — Franklin's restaurant scene in 2026 is a different proposition than it was five years ago.

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Sources: Nashville Lifestyles, Williamson Source, Williamson Herald

Related: Best Restaurants in Franklin, TN