With record numbers of foreign visitors, an increasingly international food scene and new direct flights from abroad, Music City demonstrates how an American icon can go global.
How Microsoft is Tackling Homelessness in SeattleHow Providence is Becoming a Foodie DestinationAt a recent fundraiser for restaurant workers struggling with addiction at the Nashville restaurant City House, Kamal
Tourists might have been disappointed to find none of the trappings of classic Nashville in this scene. No country music. No hot chicken or barbecue. But this party represents some of the best of what makes the city both fresh and soulful. It’s a curious, playful, casual kind of backyard hang.
Since about 2012, Nashville has been hitting the “it” lists everywhere from the New York Times to magazines across the country. Growth and tourism have been through the roof, leading to downtown shenanigans with crowds of revelers packing neon-lit honky-tonks, along with other growing pains. But
A variety of factors draw international visitors to Nashville, and those who study such trends, like
While
Chef Trevor Moran. Photo by James Beck
When chef Trevor Moran came to Nashville in 2014 and started work at the Catbird Seat soon after, he says, he didn’t know a thing about the city. After his stint at the restaurant ended, many in town expected him to pack up his knives and head out. But five years later, he’s still here with plans to open a spot serving his
And even though the dust has settled and the romantic sheen of this place has worn off, he still finds it exciting to be in Nashville. “Nashville’s personality is definitely one
Who doesn’t love to go to New York to eat Chinese food or to the West Coast to eat sushi or whatnot? We want that here in Nashville too.
He wore a T-shirt and shorts while looking over plans for his new spot with Max Goldberg of Strategic Hospitality, the group behind his new venture
“Who doesn’t love to go to New York to eat Chinese food or to the West Coast to eat sushi or whatnot? We want that here in Nashville too. We don’t want to have to always go somewhere to try the best of something,” he says. “I’m
Johnson and Aghajanian started service as the Catbird Seat chefs in February. Johnson
But that’s not the case. A key part of the city’s appeal for creative chefs today is that you don’t have to go far to be in the country or on a
Strides in the technology and communication behind shipping and logistics also have allowed products to arrive here more quickly. “You can make a phone call at 4:59 and by 10 in the morning have the most
Maneet Chauhan, a Food Network star with an Indian background, says she came to Nashville for the opportunity
There’s something about the city that makes
a lot of people feel like they’ve come home.
“I did not
Chef Maneet Chauhan. Photo by Amelia J Moore Photography
She also has an aunt and uncle planning to move here after a visit. “There’s something about the city that makes
Music remains a big draw in luring an international audience. In recent years, the Country Music Association has partnered with AEG Europe, SJM Concerts and the Nashville CVC to host C2C: Country to Country, an increasingly popular country music festival that brings country abroad in London, Dublin, Glasgow, Amsterdam, Berlin and Australia.
At the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Brad Henton, director of tourism and admission sales, says he’s seen more than a 19 percent increase in the last year in international visitors. The British Airways flight has helped. But Henton says the museum is also seeing increased visitation from other parts of the globe: Australia is the museum’s third-largest international market just behind Canada and the United Kingdom, and ahead of Germany, France and Ireland.
“The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum offers the opportunity to step inside the history of this art form,” he says, noting that private guided experiences are available in French and Spanish, and an audio tour is available in French, German, Spanish and Japanese.
With growth comes challenges. As Goldberg and Moran looked over restaurant plans, mayor David Briley announced a $500 million initiative to bring affordable housing to Nashville, something Strategic Hospitality’s Goldberg hopes will help with his staffing needs.
“I can tell you right now we have to hire 250 people for our new project [a downtown hotel and sports club not including Moran’s project]. Staffing
We wouldn’t have Trevor Moran here without progress.
Still Goldberg, a Nashville native, remains optimistic about the growth. “People talk about the frustration of new Nashville and excitement of new Nashville and I can see it from both sides. But we wouldn’t have Trevor Moran here without progress.”
It’s a cautious dance of appreciating and preserving what made the city special in the first place while adding to it thoughtfully. “We just have to be careful no one loses sight of those special things,” Moran says. “I think there’s enough people who care to not let that happen.”