Three years have passed since the pandemic changed the hospitality industry, with chefs and restaurateurs adapting to lockdowns, cutbacks, supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages. Amidst it all, Nashville never stopped building. Commercial real estate prices soared. Tourism returned with a fury. We’ve all experienced a seesaw of emotions: feeling jazzed for shiny-new openings and saddened by closures of beloved mainstays. It all begs the question, where are we, as a culinary city, headed?
For this year’s restaurant issue, we’re diving into all that and more. What are the culinary trends to come (and go) next? Without question, 2022 was the year of the chef-driven hotel restaurants: Drusie & Darr at the Hermitage Hotel; Mimo at the Four Seasons; Carne Mare at the W Hotel; 1 Kitchen at 1 Hotel; and Blue Aster at the Conrad.
What will 2023 be known for? With new concepts, new restaurants, and the return of beloved favorites, we’re optimistic about what’s on the horizon.
EXPANDING THE VISION:
CHANGE, GROWTH, AND NEW LOCATIONS
It’s not just the big names from New York, Chicago, Detroit, and London, moving into the Nashville market. There’s a lot happening with our locals—be it a chef or restaurateur offering more services in their present space, bringing their brand to another part of town, or opening something entirely different, from concept to location. These are big commitments that brim with hope and confidence.
One ambitious project is the repurposing of the former Piggly Wiggly at 917 Dickerson Pike, which boasts a stellar line-up of locally established talent. Phil Krajeck (Rolf & Daughters, Folk) Bryan Lee Weaver (Butcher & Bee, Redheaded Stranger), and Alexis
