Starring Derrick Moore . 📸 @jasonmyersphoto

HOW THREE NASHVILLE NATIVES BUILT A SPOT TO SERVE PIZZA AND THE COMMUNITY

NASHVILLE SINCE 1984 (CLINTON AND DERRICK) AND 1991 (EMANUEL)

Emanuel Reed, Clinton Gray, and Derrick Moore are the men behind Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria. Their locally built, sourced, and servicing pizza place is bringing good vibes and great food to the North Nashville and Antioch areas.

Before the pizza, the three of them owned a moving company, which they ran for several years. “We learned a lot from our first business,” they say. “With this one I wouldn’t say it’s been easier or harder, it’s just different roadblocks. But with our experience we’re able to work through those a lot faster than we would have otherwise.”

The idea came from experiences on and off the job during that time, seeing cool places in other cities and comparing with the lack of them back home.

“Traveling and going to different places and seeing a lot of neighborhood community restaurants, we felt like we didn’t have that here that represents the masses,” they share. Slim & Husky’s, which opened in March of last year, connected immediately, so much so that the trio already have a second location in Antioch.

The concept is simple. Emanuel and Derrick grew up in East Nashville and Clint in South Nashville, both less affluent parts of the city. Their dads know everyone in North Nashville – “that’s like the mecca of the African American community,” they say – and they spent a lot of time there growing up. Derrick and Clint stayed local for college as well, playing football at North Nashville’s Tennessee State University.

“We see a lot of times that a lot of guys that we grew up with ... they don’t come back because a lot of times they don’t see the opportunity that’s here for African Americans in Nashville...but we’re about creating opportunity.”

— Derrick told CBS News in August

Emanuel, Clinton, and Derrick wanted Slim & Husky’s to be a neighborhood spot. The pizza place is more than just where people could come to hang and have a great pie and a craft brew. The vibe is fun and inviting, and the fare is locally sourced or brewed. As much as possible, they also try to hire local, giving people in the area a walkable job opportunity that otherwise can be hard to find. And though they recently expanded to Antioch, they’ve already got eyes to further growth, putting Slim & Husky’s in communities that need them.

"We see a lot of times that a lot of guys that we grew up with ... they don't come back because a lot of times they don't see the opportunity that's here for African Americans in Nashville,” Derrick told CBS News in August. "But we're about creating opportunity.”

Check out their website and browse their menu here.

Follow them at @slimandhuskys