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\t\t\t\t\tBlake Shelton\u2019s Ole Red<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOpry<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n\tHowever, Broadway wasn\u2019t where many locals, nor tourists, would hang, let alone dine. Blake Shelton recalls little more than a Planet Hollywood restaurant and NASCAR Caf\u00e9 when he arrived at 17. \u201cIt was all dive bars and not where you wanted to be walking down the street after dark,\u201d he tells THR.<\/p>\n \n\tShelton credits city and tourism officials for transforming Broadway into a \u201cstar attraction\u201d and is proud to have been part of the wave of country artists \u2014 like Dierks Bentley, Luke Byran, John Rich and Jason Aldean \u2014 who opened venues in 2018. \u201cWe all blew in and created something that\u2019s never happened in Nashville,\u201d says Shelton, whose Ole Red<\/a> dining, drinking and music venue now has six U.S. locations. \u201cMusic was always a draw, but now it\u2019s also food and Broadway\u2019s truly the centerpiece.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tKid Rock<\/a> and Gavin DeGraw also entered the scene in 2018; however, it\u2019s post-COVID-19 that a greater influx of mainstream artists have joined the party, starting with Tennessee native Timberlake, who partnered with restaurateur Sam Fox to open decadent supper club The Twelve Thirty Club<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n \n\tFox scored the prime location, opposite Bridgestone Arena, on the condition he\u2019d create something unique. Cue a swanky dining experience \u2014 and Timberlake.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cRather than a clich\u00e9 with his name on the building, we wanted something low-key that was more about the food, wine and cocktail experience, which often gets overlooked in such a touristy area,\u201d says Fox. \u201cJustin\u2019s big into wine, so the wine program was really important to him.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAnd the music was important since that\u2019s what Justin does,\u201d continues Fox, adding that Timberlake\u2019s career has enriched his hospitality skills since he \u201cknows how to put on a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThat good time starts on the ground floor honky-tonk, which leads up to the restaurant, offering dishes like scallops with artichoke fondue. A cocktail cart rolls up, with the waitress lighting an Old Fashioned on fire then presenting the smoky drink as a country songstress performs acoustically behind her. There\u2019s also a rooftop and members-only lounge.<\/p>\n \n\tFrom here, you can spot JBJ\u2019s Nashville, the seeds of which were planted pre-COVID, when Tara and Josh Joseph of Big Plan Holdings explored Broadway to sniff out what was missing.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cBefore Miranda Lambert [who opened Casa Rosa<\/a> in 2021] and Lainey Wilson [who opened Bell Bottoms Up<\/a> in 2024], there wasn\u2019t any female representation,\u201d says Tara Joseph. \u201cWe also noticed even in country bars, people were requesting \u201880s music like Journey and Bon Jovi. Why not open a bar that represents the \u201880s music being requested up and down the street?\u201d<\/p>\n The Josephs wanted to introduce a venue themed around a rock act and attracting a multi-generational, international clientele. Enter Jon Bon Jovi, who has Nashville ties, while bandmates including keyboardist David Bryan live there.<\/p>\n \n\tAlthough it\u2019s the frontman\u2019s name on signage, and his spookily realistic hologram welcoming guests, the five-story complex honors the whole band, from cocktails named after songs to Bryan\u2019s personal plaque-adorned booth. \u201cWe call him the Mayor of Nashville because he knows everybody and it doesn\u2019t matter what fan\u2019s coming up to him at what time, he\u2019ll say \u2018Hi,\u2019\u201d says Tara Joseph.<\/p>\n \n\tKirkpatrick didn\u2019t think twice when the Josephs invited him to become a JBJs Nashville partner and he regularly visits, jumps on stage or brings in celebrity pals, like Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover. The musician, who\u2019s currently on the Pop 2000 tour<\/a>, saw JBJ\u2019s Nashville as a chance to \u201cembed\u201d himself in the community and show he\u2019s committed to Nashville \u201cfor the long haul.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cWe\u2019re not here while it\u2019s trendy then leaving,\u201d he says. \u201cI came here to write in the \u201890s\/early 2000s and have always felt this was a special place. Plus, I grew up in the \u201880s as a rock guy. Being a fan growing up, it\u2019s great to be part of this family and go, \u2018Wow. I\u2019ve got friends in Bon Jovi.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tPost Malone<\/a>\u2018s Posty\u2019s<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLeena Tailor<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n\tOne block over, rapper turned country act Post Malone\u2019s new spot Posty\u2019s<\/a> salutes the Grammy winner, like with a replica of the 1971 Ford F-100 pickup truck from his F-1 Trillion album cover suspended above the bar. Another bar with hunting lodge touches displays the singer\u2019s photos and vinyls, while the stairwell stars a chandelier of Bud Light bottles \u2014 Post\u2019s favorite beer. Local rumor has it that Post will shut down Broadway and perform a street party marking the venue\u2019s official opening.<\/p>\n \n\tWhile Post, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre and DeGraw aren\u2019t strangers to country music, their venues reflect the changing face of Broadway. DeGraw opened Nashville Underground<\/a> with his brother, Joey DeGraw. With a bowling alley, arcade games and mechanical bull, it\u2019s the type of place you can imagine DeGraw and his One Tree Hill pals frequenting on the show.<\/p>\n \n\tAs with Nashville Underground, The Spot by Dre and Snoop<\/a> doesn\u2019t have its owners\u2019 names blazed across the entrance. But inside, the rappers\u2019 photos, records and cassettes are on show. Described as \u201cWest Coast meets Southern soul,\u201d the intimate space has curtained booths and cocktails made with the pair\u2019s Still G.I.N. brand.<\/p>\n \n\tSo, what does everyone think of the newer kids on the block?<\/p>\n \n\tFox says The Twelve Thirty Club was warmly welcomed, while Shelton\u2019s all for variety.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cThere\u2019s an enormous part of the fan base who are country music fans, but there\u2019s also those who also love rock, rap or pop,\u201d he says. \u201cSo, for Kid Rock to be across the street from Ole Red makes sense and helps create an environment where everybody has a spot. If your friends don\u2019t love country, they\u2019ve got somewhere to go while the rest of you hit country bars.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI\u2019m surprised how many guests say, \u2018I\u2019m not a big country fan,\u2019\u201d adds Sean Fisher, guest services and concierge manager at Four Seasons Nashville<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tIvey has seen a \u201cdefinite\u201d increase in visitors to Nashville thanks to celebrity-owned bars. The broader range of genres and establishments also caters to increased international visitation, largely spawned by direct flights from cities like London, Dublin and Reykjavik. International visitors increased from 391,000 in 2019 to a record high of 419,000 in 2024.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tThe Spot By Dre and Snoop<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEly Garcia<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n\tThat\u2019s something JBJ\u2019s Nashville focused on. \u201cWe\u2019re rock venue meets Cheers because we want everyone to feel at home,\u201d says Tara Joseph, adding that foreigners love finding concert posters or platinum records from their countries. \u201cWhen people come from overseas, they find a piece of home here.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tJBJ\u2019s Nashville is also one of several newer bars highlighting a flourishing market for luxury or VIP experiences, likely spurred by increased spending. The average visitor spend rose by around 30 percent from $511 in 2019 to $663 in 2024.<\/p>\n \n\tThe Vegas-style bottle service at Jelly Roll\u2019s Goodnight Nashville<\/a> or Dierks Bentley\u2019s Whiskey Row<\/a> (which also holds weekly EDM nights<\/a>) is a far cry from traditional honky-tonks, as is Miranda Lambert\u2019s VIP lounge Buckle Bar, Lainey Wilson\u2019s dueling piano bar Bayou Keys and The Spot By Dre and Snoop.<\/p>\n \n\tSimilarly, I would get the heels out for The Twelve Thirty Club and JBJ\u2019s Nashville\u2019s fourth floor, which feels like a members-only lounge \u2014 decked out in plush red couches, crystal chandeliers and an illuminated wall of enlarged band photos.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n