UPDATED: This piece was updated on April 24 at 3:29 p.m. CDT to include additional information about VSG’s role in bringing Two Boots to Taste of Nashville.
Two Boots Pizza was recently added to the Taste of Nashville program after several months of coordination. Students can now use Meal Money and Commodore Cash to pay at the restaurant.
Campus Dining told The Hustler that Two Boots was officially invited into Taste of Nashville last fall but joined in March 2024 after “working out the logistics.” Two Boots was not part of Taste of Nashville in the past because neither party reached out to the other, according to store manager Sam Boyer. This changed when Vanderbilt contacted him in Fall 2023.
According to senior Caleb Boyer, chair of VSG’s Campus Services Committee, VSG was responsible for initially connecting Two Boots to Campus Dining. He said Vice Chair Olivia Noell, a junior, first reached out to Two Boots on Oct. 12, 2022, and the restaurant began to fill out an application to join Taste of Nashville but never completed it. Campus Dining said that though VSG “may have contacted Two Boots directly,” the restaurant formally completed the application on Oct. 23, 2023.
The technology needed to use the Commodore Card has been delivered and installed, meaning Meal Money and Commodore Cash are now accepted at Two Boots, per Campus Dining.
“We’ve been open for 12 years serving Vandy and have always tinkered with the idea of the Vandy card, but never followed up on it,” Boyer said. “This past fall, Taste of Nashville reached out to us and initiated the process. We thought we’d give it a try, no harm no foul.”
Boyer stated the store initially hesitated to join Taste of Nashville due to logistical concerns, but he has not seen any issues since its implementation.
“We’re a pretty well oiled machine. I was concerned that adding an entire new form of payment and additional step or two to the check out process for Vandy Card users would disrupt our workflow,” Boyer said. “But so far, it’s been fine.”
If any participating locations leave the Taste of Nashville program, other Midtown and West End restaurants will be added, according to Campus Dining.
“We are again at capacity with our program, but we welcome restaurants to submit an application, knowing they may be placed on a waitlist for possible future consideration,” Dining said in an email to The Hustler.
Previous restaurants that left the Taste of Nashville program in Fall 2023, including Velvet Taco, Shokku Ramen and Koi Sushi and Thai, will not be added back to the program at this time, Campus Dining said.
First-year Ruhi Patel said she welcomes Two Boots to Taste of Nashville as an alternative to other pizza restaurants on the program, such as Roma Pizza and Pasta.
“I am so excited for Two Boots to be on the card, especially since Roma is potentially closing, it would be great to have another pizza place on the card,” Patel said.
In a phone call with The Hustler, Roma Pizza and Pasta confirmed they will not be closing their Elliston Place location.
Junior Emma Clarke said she is excited that Two Boots will offer another late-night option for students who wish to eat outside of dining hours.
“I love Two Boots — it’s so good, and the value is awesome,” Clarke said. “I’m so excited because their pizza is very good, it’s open late on weekends and it’s cheap.”
