Website: https://thebehive.com/
The BE Hive is a vegan, plant-based meat and cheese company with a deli in East Nashville, Tennessee. The company makes seitan-based proteins and plant-based cheeses that are, in its own words, “Pre-sliced, pre-marinated and ready to eat right out of the bag.” Alongside its packaged products, The BE Hive operates a walk-in deli, offers catering, and supports online ordering for pickup and delivery. The brand positions its food as “crave-worthy” and aims to challenge the idea that vegan food is boring.
Products
The BE Hive’s core line consists of seitan-based plant proteins and cheeses sold pre-sliced and pre-marinated. Product offerings referenced on the site include:
- Pepperoni
- Italian Crumbles
- Roast Beef
- Turkey
- Chorizo, filets, and bacon alternatives
- Customizable 6-packs
The company sums up its product positioning with the line “Easy to use, hard to fck up,” emphasizing convenience for home cooks and food-service customers alike. Products are available at the deli, online, and through wholesale and retail channels.
About
The BE Hive was founded by Ben Stix, a musician who transitioned into plant-based food making. The company name traces back to Stix’s band, Born Empty, whose initials inspired the “BE Hive” name used for the vegan potlucks the group hosted. Those gatherings grew into weekly $10 plant-based buffets around 2011, and community demand for the seitan dishes led to the formal creation of The BE Hive LLC.
The business opened its first dedicated commercial kitchen in East Nashville in 2016, adjacent to The East Room venue. In 2020 it pivoted to a to-go window model and scaled from weekend service to seven-day operations. The company later expanded into a larger facility in the Donelson area, growing its production space as demand increased. Its mission centers on creating crave-worthy plant-based food while building community.
Location & Contact
- Address: 2414 Gallatin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206
- Hours: Monday to Sunday, 11AM to 9PM
The deli welcomes walk-in customers. A contact form is available on the website for inquiries categorized as Food Service, Media Inquiry, Product Question, Product Usage Help, or Other.
Additional Information
Online ordering options include Nashville pickup via Clover and Nashville delivery through UberEats. The company also operates a deli in Austin, Texas, with pickup and delivery handled through Toast. In addition to retail and deli sales, The BE Hive offers catering and provides application processes for businesses interested in becoming a retailer or wholesaler. Recipes, FAQs, and a store locator are also featured on the website.
The company’s story is closely tied to Nashville’s vegan community. What began as underground potlucks hosting gatherings of up to 80 people grew into the weekly buffets that gave rise to the business, and the brand has retained that community-driven character as it has scaled. Over time, The BE Hive moved from a small commercial kitchen near The East Room into progressively larger production facilities, reflecting steady growth in demand for its seitan-based products.
For customers, the deli on Gallatin Avenue serves as the brand’s flagship walk-in location, open daily from 11AM to 9PM. Home cooks and food-service buyers alike are drawn to the convenience of products that arrive pre-sliced and pre-marinated, ready to be heated and served. The wholesale and retailer programs extend the company’s reach beyond its own counters, while the recipes section on the website offers ideas for using the products. Taken together, the deli, packaged-product line, catering service, and wholesale channels make The BE Hive both a neighborhood eatery and a plant-based food producer rooted in East Nashville.
Profile compiled from the company’s official website (thebehive.com).*