East Nashville bakery owner says she’s fighting for her community

By Sharon Danquah

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    NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — The owner of an East Nashville bakery is fighting to continue feeding her community.

The owner of Shugga Hi Bakery and Cafe has filed a lawsuit against the property owner of her building on Dickerson Pike.

Shugga Hi Bakery and Cafe has been there for years. The bakery owner said their leasing agreement gives them an opportunity to match an offer made by someone else for this property, but now they’re running into issues.

“I was shocked,” Kathy Leslie said.

Leslie is talking about an ongoing lawsuit she can’t fully discuss.

“We’re fighting for the community,” Leslie said.

After more than five years of leasing a building on Dickerson Pike, Leslie said in a lawsuit she believes her landlord violated their lease.

“We are rooted here, and we have made a commitment to staying here,” Leslie said.

In a lawsuit filed on Monday, Leslie explains that her lease agreement gives her the opportunity to match an offer made by someone trying to buy the property her business is located, but when a $5.5 million offer came in for the space at 1000 Dickerson Pike and a few blocks behind it, she said she wasn’t truly given an opportunity to match it.

“Shugga Hi is not just some building that was thrown up. We made a significant investment in this area and building so that the neighborhood and community could be proud of it,” Leslie said.

Leslie said she sent the property owner her matching offer but was never given all of the details of the original offer, pushing her towards letting go of a building she says she’s used to help thousands of people.

“In the last two years we’ve served over 70,000 people. During the Thursday before Thanksgiving, we do a community meal where we invite all the community in, to come in and sit together eat together and love on each other,” Leslie said.

WSMV4 reached out to the law firm representing the he property owner and they said Leslie is not entitled to all of the offer details, but they are willing to sell to Leslie, but on terms she voiced she doesn’t agree with.

As the lawsuit continues, Leslie said she’s fighting for people in need.

“I appreciate the support that people have called and told us from all over that we don’t want you all to go. We want you to stay in the community,” Leslie said. “So, we appreciate the support and love being given,”

Leslie said they plan to continue helping their community any way they can.

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