“Music City” or “Food City”?
“Booming Music City food scene” – Food & Wine
“Emerging culinary scene putting Nashville on the gastronomic radar” –Food Arts Magazine
“There’s enough going on food-wise to warrant a trip solely for eating”- Conde Nast Traveler
All a visitor has to do is take a brief ride around Nashville to see all that there is to offer in terms of restaurants and dining experiences. A city now known for food trucks, breakfast and brunch, coffee shops, breweries, barbecue, burgers, sports bars, ice-cream, farm-to-table, and all types of ethnic food, Nashville has changed drastically since 10 years ago when the gulch was full of warehouses and East Nashville was unsafe for visitors. Now, Nashville is famous for its many different neighborhoods, all with unique personality and cuisine. Music City also is not lacking in experiences surrounding food; from festivals to concerts and events, it is clear that Nashvillians love to dine.
Since I started studying at Vanderbilt, I have seen many new restaurants pop up around the city. Currently, students anticipate many more. Recently I have heard buzz about Kawai Poke Company, Babo, The Eastern Peak, Kokos, and NoBaked Cookie Dough, which will serve Poke, Korean, Thai, dairy-free ice cream, and cookie dough, respectively. Nashville’s food scene is becoming more and more diverse; entrepreneurs are hoping to fill some of the gaps in Music City’s offerings.
In such a booming restaurant industry, it might be hard to identify what is missing in Nashville. Lizzy Alfs, writer for the Tennessean, argues that Nashville is in need of more Ethnic Food and delis. Additionally, she highlights the importance of affordability, for Nashville locals and tourists who don’t want to pay the steep and rising prices associated with dining out in Nashville. Alfs also calls for better (and cheaper) parking for diners, a new healthy grab-and-go restaurant, and Authentic Chinese food.
Competing in this space is becoming more and more challenging; in another piece for the Tennessean, Lizzy Alfs discusses how the growth in Nashville might not be sustainable. Since being in Nashville, I have seen many favorites like Provence, Lulu and Caviar and Bananas close. Alfs writes about this trend and an interview with a restaurant analyst who argues that there is more supply in Nashville than there is demand in terms of dining. The restaurant industry expert conducted research which found that the number of restaurants in Nashville grew from 2011 until 2016, when it hit a peak of 5,671 restaurants. Since 2016, that number has continued to fall with chains with independent restaurants taking the biggest hit. Chains have continued to be successful; restaurants with three or more locations have grown at 2%. Experts point to increased competition, labor shortages, labor costs, and declining profit margins as reasons why some restaurants have struggled. Some say that Nashville has reached its saturation point.
What does this mean for the many new restaurants continuing to come to Nashville? The hew head Chef at Husk, Katie Coss, said, “We’re in more competition than we have ever been in the history of being here because of all the great food, all the great people that are starting up. It’s like to find a good restaurant all you have to do is just walk around the corner. … It’s just growing every single day.” According to BizJournals, there is more competition in Nashville than there has been in the past four years.
In future posts, I will explore what the growth in Nashville looks like in terms of demographics and population, exploring how restaurants can stay competitive.