MEET THE TEAM
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ABBEY - SHE/HER
OWNER / A LIL OF EVERYTHING
Abbey loves to set the bar low enough so that life can continue to surprise and delight her. Her favorite things are hot dog culture (but not really hotdogs), old junk, and being stupid (a positive) online and in real life. She takes very few things seriously, but cares deeply about her community, the people and animals in her life, and making sure everyone feels like they have a seat at the table.
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JESSEE - SHE/HER
BARISTA
Jessee is a line-dancing, latte-making, non-gun-toting Appalachian who is thrilled to be part of the Marty’s team. She cannot wait to meet you, put some extra care into your coffee, and compliment your outfit. Above all, she wants you to know: she CAN keep a secret, especially the juicy ones.
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MCKENNA - SHE/HER
BARISTA
McKenna has an English degree which she has used to make coffee for many years. She enjoys biking on the weekends, working with her besties, and cooking boxed mac n cheese to perfection.
MATRYOSHKA ORIGIN STORY
Click here to learn how to pronounce “matryoshka”.
Spoiler: there are many ways to pronounce it.
Matryoshka was founded on two major principles: good coffee can be fun, and joy is something everyone deserves.
In early 2020, I (Matryoshka founder Abbey Chiavario) and my husband Jake purchased a small, 960-square foot unit in a small complex within an unassuming industrial park on Nashville’s south side.
The space was originally slated to become the home base for Technico, Jake’s coffee and espresso technician business, until I offhandedly mentioned the idea of opening a coffee shop in the front third. Thus, Matryoshka, a shop within a shop (like its resting doll namesake), was born.
Heavily inspired by the book Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee — a book about how aesthetics in our environments can create tangible joy — I set out to build a coffee shop with my own two hands, documenting the process online for others to follow along. I quit my long-term nannying job in August 2021 and spent the next four months building, tiling, painting, and learning how to be a barista.
Since then, Matryoshka has become a beast of her own. Technico moved out in October of 2024, which led to our takeover of the entire space and creating what you now see when you walk through Matryoshka’s door. It’s a bit larger than it used to be, and while we miss the intimacy of being able to talk to every person in the cafe, we feel lucky for the extra breathing room and the folks that fill up our space.
Through the years, we’ve been able to make a name for ourselves as the home base for a strong community, a place that isn’t afraid to take risks, and somewhere that squashes pretension.
On a personal level, Matryoshka has transformed from a project I built nearly alone to a community-heavy space that fosters deep connections with others, and I couldn't be more proud and delighted to be a part of it.
Matryoshka is queer-owned and a dedicated safe space for our LGBTQIA+ community and other minority groups and we intend to do all we can to ensure we stay that way.
