Family Ties

How sibling restaurateurs and founders of Strategic Hospitality have taken a bite out of the Nashville food scene

- Sam Jenkins

THE NUMBERS DON’T LIE: NASHVILLE IS booming. Last year, the destination welcomed a record 14.5 million visitors, and many are coming to do one thing, and one thing only—eat. An astonishing 159 restaurants are scheduled to debut across Music City throughout the year, from the trendy neighborhood of Germantown to artistic Wedgewood-Houston.

Benjamin and Max Goldberg, founders of Strategic Hospitality, are leading this culinary renaissance. The Nashville-raised brothers run eight popular restaurants, including French brasserie Le Sel; Pinewood Social, which draws a young crowd thanks to its inventive cocktails, addictive fried chicken, and buzzing bowling alley; and The Catbird Seat, an intimate space famed for its open kitchen and innovative, $125 tasting menus (think sunflower seed risotto with Italian summer truffles). “With every single thing we’ve opened, people told us, ‘You’re crazy,’” says Max. “It’s fun to look back now.” Here, the brothers share how they built their empire.

How has Nashville evolved?