The Factory at Franklin

My big sister had to pick something up and I was visiting from Southern California so I absolutely adored this place because it is non existent in San Diego. I loved the feel of the factory structure, there is a metal sculpture outside and an open area which my sister said they have Farmers Markets. Oh how I wish I was there to get fresh produce fr local farms. I’m in Franklin TN right next to Nashville. I love the country vibe and charm. When we entered I stopped and read all the quotes and sayings that hung on the walls, my niece and I took pics in the giant rocking chair and stove display which reminded me of the I love Lucy shows. The scent of the restaurants filled the air with yumminess! I strolled down the corridors and gawked at all the shops. Beautiful hand crafted acoustic guitars, there was an art gallery of lovely acrylic paintings we all stopped in, there was a little photo shoot going on against wooden barn doors. I had to return and do the same pics. Too cute to pass up! There’s a 2^nd floor that overlooks an area space you can rent and it looked like a wedding was going to take place. There’s perfect space to have a gallery or event and even Chandeliers! I scored on some shopping at one of the shops here and loved the radio station employee who let me take pics inside. We got some jam from him and stickers! :) But what did it for me was a row of art studios that said «Where Women Create.» That’s when I asked myself ‘When can I move to Nashville/​Franklin?” That is so empowering and encouraging for Indie Artist as myself especially in SoCal. I love The Factory and thanks big sis and family for showing me this place. They even have a little drop off to donate used glasses. Winner!!!

Factor of franklin is a great location for seeing some nice local flare and a few great restaurants. Theirs a great ice cream parlor inside, a few local arts and crafts stores, a few clothing consignment shops, and an awesome antique store. To make it even better, they hold events her on the weekend including a Wine auction, as well as one weekend we saw an Antiques road show. On Saturdays, the franklin farmers market is located in the rear parking lot so my wife and I always like to make a morning event out of it.

Amazing little shops inside, great Farmers Market on weekends.

Great inspiration and shopping! Beautiful art, custom designed. Great food options, and a place to hang out with friends and family! Weekends are busy, so if you can go during the week I would highly recommend it!

There are several empty storefronts at the Factory, and several of the shops are selling artsy-​craftsy items that seem to have been made overseas. The floors do echo, the industrial feel of the former mattress plant is still, well, industrial. There is a community theater, a cooking supply/​school, a few restaurants, and shops selling antiques (this by far is the largest), upper-​range clothing for rich kids, custom cabinets, jewelry and guitars. If you’re in the area, or if you want to have a quick bit, feel free to check it out. Otherwise, no need to make a special trip there. Disappointing had higher hopes to see a cool place offering local art.

The Factory at Franklin will no longer be receiving my business. They gave Happy Tales Humane, a nonprofit animal adoption agency, TWO WEEKS notice to vacate the space they have used at The Factory for 14 years. As a result of this, they have two weeks to plan a move for hundreds of animals to a temporary location, which has resulted in them having to suspend all dog adoptions and animal surgeries, as well as try to find a permanent location. The reason given? The Factory wants to «move in a new direction».
Regardless of their plans for the space, giving only TWO WEEKS notice to vacate to an agency providing shelter for hundreds of animals is inexcusable. Surely the plans for this change have been in the works long before now and more notice than this could have been given to allow Happy Tales to properly plan a move.
This is a cold, heartless, and poorly managed thing to do to a beloved community nonprofit organization. I don’t like what this says about the management of The Factory and their view of the community. I will no longer be giving them my business, and I will be sure to spread the news about what kind of organization they are far and wide.

We bought a Groupon that included the pizza buffet, all day arcade passes and $ 5 cards x 4. It was a good deal and we had a great time with our three year old. The pizza is ok, but that is not what you go for. There were a few games out of order, but we had a great time and despite all the people, I feel like the staff does a decent job keeping the game areas clean. The bathrooms were a different story though.

This is not your standard shopping mall, instead it’s a former factory converted into a variety of arty stores and restaurants.
My friend loves the antique mall here. And it’s a nice space to wander in on a rainy day.
There is also a giant rocking chair which seems to be a photo op destination.

I love this building — — my only beef is that I wish they had more boutiques as they shopping could be better… that is why they don’t get 5 stars… Anyhoo — they are dog friendly which is awesome… they have a cooking /​viking store/​they have several art vendors inside which is always very cool and a paint your own plate place and several places where you can grab a snack and beverage… I personally just liked to walk around and end up at Saffire for cocktails… The building itself is just exactly what you would want to shop in exposed ceilings, concrete, brick steel… i just love it…

I just went to the Factory for the first time and was very impressed. It’s a cute little mall with tons of different shops, including furniture, clothing, hot dog stand, ice cream and the Humane Society is in there, too. It was very clean, and I went on a Saturday and it was not busy at all. Lots of places to sit and relax.

A great venue for a special event (attended the Franklin Wine Festival a few weeks ago) but I’m not so sure about it as a shopping destination.
There are lots of shops I wish I could afford to shop in (namely, the Viking store) but there aren’t enough zeros on the end of my paycheck. In the end, it’s still a fun place to window shop and walk around.

When I was growing up in Franklin, the Factory was finishing its time as a mattress plant. It was in disrepair, not much to see. When the time came to fix it up, Calvin Lehew, city leader with a knack for creativity and renovations, was awarded the contract. He has developed this wonderful asset very well over the past 10 — 12 years.
It has retail stores — mostly mom and pop stores, lots of art galleries, furniture, salons, restaurants, a dance studio, a church, part of O’More School of Design, the Farmer’s Market, and wonderful venues for large events.
Many of the charity events and proms happen at the Factory. I don’t know if the city knew how bad we needed it until it was there. I go to events there all the time. Except at the most crowded times (Saturday mornings) the parking is easy. The restaurants all have tasty options. The shops are interesting. This is a great destination for serious shoppers and tourists alike. What the others wrote about the hours is true, but if you are there after hours for dinner at Saffire or the Boxwood Bistro, there are still things to see and enjoy window shopping at the Factory.
It has become a cultural hub for Franklin.

I have to agree with fellow Unilocaler Sarah B that The Factory is a solid special event venue! In the last year, I have been out to this location for the Franklin Wine Festival, O’More College Of Design Fashion Show, and a couple of other events. Each event had a different feel and purpose but they were ll executed beautifully at this location.
Ample parking surrounds the buildings too. The overall tone is very charming.
My only issue is that the signage for the numbered buildings (from the exterior) can be confusing and not the easiest to follow if you are new to the space.
I never seem to make it out to shop (when events aren’t in progress) because the retailers are not open late on Saturday and are closed on Sunday. This may not be an issue for those who live in the area but it’s tough to make it out if you’re from Nashville proper.

Love the Factory, love the people, love the dog-​friendly policies. It’s as if my pup knows when we are going there for some reason, she gets a certain proud stance in her step literally in the parking lot.
I wish the merchants were open later and open on Sundays — but I don’t blame them. I wouldn’t work if I didn’t have to, either.
Great space for private events, etc. — they offer tremendous flexibility and comparably reasonable rates. And their staff is really great, hope the trend continues after Calvin Lehew’s sale is finalized.

BOO! why are your merchants closed on Sundays?! Took an out of town friend there — not knowing that 90% of the stores do not have Sunday hours. And from the looks of the other sad-​faced accidental-​window-​shoppers, I was not alone. It felt like the scene from Pretty Woman: «I have money to spend here!» but no one was home. I get that many of these are family owned, and Sunday is a family day… but I think if you want to be in the retail game, you need to be open when the shoppers are off work. We bought fun things in the stores that WERE open, so it wasn’t a complete waste… but I was sad my friend could not experience all the different stores.

I discovered The Factory at Franklin last year by accident while trying to find work. While I did not get a job out if, I found a place that is as unique as it is timeless. Walking around I feel like I have been thrown back-​in-​time to the when stoves were produced on the premises. Filled with a wide variety of artisan shops, restaurants and more. There is even a pet adoption agency and The Viking Store.
Delving deeper into the complex there are a variety of service providers and even a church. Every time I visit I find something I have never seen before… there is a barber shop in one of the small buildings on site. I knew the moment I brought my fiancé here for the first time, we had found the perfect placed to get married.

Happy Tails Humane is housed here ^-^ Check it out! Its also a really interesting layout, but so overpriced.

We went here for the annual Books From Birth Valentines Day Dance. It is hard for me to accurately rate the place itself as it was closed for business while we were there. I will say that it is a great venue for events. The room they have is large with high ceilings and great acoustics.
One other small but important thing was the bathrooms. Because it handles a large crowd during the day, the facility has tons of restroom space rather than the usually small and crowded bathrooms at other locations (like Lowe’s Vanderbilt).
If I were throwing an event, I would certainly look here to do it

I had a corporate function /​all company meeting today at the Factory in Franklin. I’m very familiar with the venue as I greatly enjoy Saffire, the restaurant. There are also quaint shops and antique stores located in the Factory.
This review, however, is about neither of those. I’m reviewing the facility from the standpoint of a corporate meeting space. I enjoyed the venue because it was unique to corporate meetings. I really despise the large ballrooms in hotels as a corporate function. They feel dated and icky. The Factory felt unusual but in a good way. The architecture in the room is apparent and makes you feel like you’re in a large farmhouse, which is appropriate for the area.
The chairs were about as uncomfortable as hotel chairs, but the projector screens and sound system were significantly better than those that I have experienced in hotel ballrooms.
The restrooms were also larger than the public ones in a hotel (i.e. could hold more capacity) which was great given we have a company of like 500+.
All and all, I’d recommend the Factory’s Jamison Hall for a corporate function /​all company meeting.

The Factory at Franklin is like stepping into another world… it’s got that quaint charm that downtown Franklin possess and some decent shops & restaurants.
I love the art displays, the animal adoption days and the events they host (like the Franklin Wine Festival we just attended). The space itself is so very chic… it just screams industrial with an artsy flair all it’s own.
Everything from the giant water tower to the weekend farmers market to the handcrafted art for sale to dinner & drinks at good restaurants, The Factory has a little something for everyone.
While it’s not a place I’d regularly shop, any event or function that is held there, inspire me to attend just because of the locale.
It’s a must see for everyone in town and cute little place to take visitors.