Cawthon opened Jack’s Bar-B-Que at Broadway and First Avenue in 1991, when Lower Broadway looked very different from the neon-lit entertainment district it is today. His decision to invest in the area helped establish a family-friendly business among pawn shops and novelty stores.

“I believed in Nashville before the rest of the world discovered it,” Cawthon said in a July interview. He said he saw promise in Broadway’s history and character and believed good barbecue, attentive service and cleanliness would make the restaurant succeed.

Cawthon marked his 80th birthday and 50 years in Nashville’s food business in July. He began with a catering company before opening the restaurant. Hundreds of friends, relatives, employees and business partners attended the celebration.

“He knew where he wanted to be, and that was in the middle of the action,” longtime friend and developer Harvey “Mac” McDonald said at the event.

Cumberland Hospitality Group CEO Barrett Hobbs called Cawthon “an ambassador to Nashville” in a social media statement, adding that it was hard to imagine Broadway without him. Robert’s Western World owners Jesse Lee and Emily Jones also described Cawthon as a Lower Broadway pioneer, saying he put up an early neon sign in what became a neon-filled district and gave visitors and residents a place to gather.

Jack’s Bar-B-Que left downtown late last year. Cawthon sold the Broadway location to the Joneses in August 2025 for their Robert’s Western World expansion, while continuing to operate restaurants at 334 West Trinity Lane and 1601 Charlotte Avenue.

Lower Broadway now draws more than 17 million tourists annually. The Cawthon family said he spent more than five decades welcoming guests and serving the community, and thanked customers, employees and friends for their support.

Funeral arrangements are pending, the family said.