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building was its original wooden floor, which had been patched with pieces of metal over the years.
The floor and the soda fountain counter were two of the things local residents wanted to see saved. But the years had taken a toll on both, and engineers deemed the floor unsafe. New floor joists and sturdy red oak flooring took its place in the remodel.
Parts of the old floor with the most character were carefully preserved as the bar top, designed piece by piece, then covered with a thick layer of epoxy, an idea of general contractor Cameron Stone of Columbus.
Lance Miller, co-owner of the business and Tyra’ s husband, spent a couple days cleaning the old floor with mineral spirits, then staying up most of a night“ chasing bubbles” as the epoxy dried.
“ Nostalgia is very powerful,” Tyra Miller said,“ and with the amount of memories made in this building along with its long historical standing in the town, we made every decision as if we were under history’ s microscope.”
She said she saw community support“ without question.”
Local residents have been a big part of the early crowds, some coming to get a look at the place, others to enjoy the nostalgic cherry phosphate and Green River drinks sold at the soda fountain.
Manager Casey Zoellner and son Echo.
Visitors are also enjoying the new restaurant. On a recent October morning, the family of Glenn and Jenny DeJarnet of Columbus visited the Bird’ s Nest on Main during a fall break visit to Nashville. They labelled the food“ delicious.”“ It was the first thing on our menu when we came to Nashville,” Glenn said.
Zoellner said dishes are still being added to the menus, which will change with the seasons. More soups will be added as the winter arrives.
The original Bird’ s Nest café on Franklin Street is closed, and Tyra said now that the new restaurant is running, cleaning and repairs will begin on that building. Plans are still being made for future use.
Likewise, the upstairs room at the Main Street location is now being used for storage while its use is being determined. Tyra said it could be used at some point as an event space / speakeasy / jazz bar, or for small intimate gatherings with highly curated music options.
“ I think we all understand that the repairing of the building belonged to so many people along with the town past, present, and future. We aren’ t just opening a business. We are becoming part of a story and we have loved documenting the process.” •
28 Our Brown County • Nov./ Dec. 2026