Strategic Hospitality

What Strategic Hospitality does

Strategic Hospitality is a Nashville-based, privately held restaurant group founded by brothers Max and Benjamin Goldberg in 2006 that operates a portfolio of 12+ distinct restaurant concepts across the Nashville market. The portfolio spans fine dining (The Catbird Seat, Locust), craft cocktail bars (The Patterson House, Bastion), casual and neighborhood dining (Henrietta Red, Kisser), entertainment venues (Friends In Low Places honky-tonk with Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood), airport locations (Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink and The Titans Press Box at Nashville International Airport), a stadium restaurant (The Band Box at First Horizon Park), and newer concepts (Babychan bakery café in Germantown, Sally's Stay Awhile in Wedgewood-Houston). The business makes money primarily through direct consumer food and beverage sales across this multi-format portfolio, with secondary revenue from private events, merchandise, and gift cards through its online Shop.

The company's core operating technology is a multi-concept restaurant management and culinary platform, with each concept maintaining its own identity, menu, and target audience while sharing back-office infrastructure, a central marketing function, and reservation/booking integrations. The Catbird Seat has served as a culinary talent incubator since 2011, launching the careers of multiple James Beard-recognized chefs. Distribution relies on direct dine-in service, online reservations via OpenTable, SevenRooms, and Tock, ticketed events through Eventbrite, online ordering via Toast Tab, and a social media presence across individual concept Instagram accounts.

Strategic Hospitality serves a broad customer base including fine dining enthusiasts, cocktail patrons, airport travelers, sports and entertainment seekers, and private events clients in the Nashville market. Recent strategic activity has been heavily expansionary, including the 2023 BNA airport entry, the 2025 relocation of The Catbird Seat and Patterson House to an 8,028-square-foot Gulch penthouse, multiple new concept launches in 2025-2026, and the December 2025 acquisition and reopening of Dalts American Grill. The group has accumulated significant press and award recognition, including North America's 50 Best Restaurants, Bon Appétit Best New Restaurants, James Beard nominations, and coverage in The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, and Esquire.

Name

Strategic Hospitality

Legal name

Strategic Hospitality

Website

https://strategichospitality.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strategic Hospitality is a Nashville-based private restaurant group operating 12+ distinct concepts including fine dining (The Catbird Seat, Locust), cocktail bars, airport and stadium locations, and a Garth Brooks Broadway honky-tonk, serving Nashville diners, travelers, and event guests.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Restaurant Group / Multi-Concept Hospitality

NAICS

Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Fine Dining Restaurants (THAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK)

Keywords

• Multi-concept restaurants
• Fine dining experiences
• Craft cocktail bars
• Private event catering
• Airport food service

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food & Beverage Sales: Core revenue from 12+ restaurant concepts generating sales across fine dining, casual dining, fast-casual, and bar formats. Multiple price points from affordable fare to premium tasting menus.
2. Private Events & Catering: Revenue from hosting private events, special celebrations, and corporate functions across restaurant venues.
3. Merchandise & Shop: Sales of branded merchandise, holiday pies, gift cards, and specialty food items through the SHOP section and restaurant locations.
4. Reservation Booking Fees: Integration with OpenTable and SevenRooms platforms for reservation management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Strategic Hospitality is a Nashville-based restaurant group that owns and operates more than twelve distinct restaurant, bar, cafe, and entertainment concepts in the Nashville market, ranging from fine dining and craft cocktail bars to casual eateries, neighborhood cafes, and airport food outlets. The group also books private events and sells branded merchandise through a dedicated Shop channel.

Product overview

Strategic Hospitality operates a portfolio of distinct restaurant concepts in Nashville, Tennessee, representing a multi-brand hospitality platform. The portfolio includes fine dining establishments (The Catbird Seat, Locust), craft cocktail bars (The Patterson House), neighborhood gathering spots (Bastion), casual dining (Henrietta Red, Kisser), entertainment venues (Friends In Low Places honky-tonk), airport dining (Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink, The Titans Press Box), stadium dining (The Band Box), and newer concepts (Babychan bakery café, Sally's Stay Awhile all-day restaurant). The company also offers private event services and merchandise through its Shop. Each concept operates independently with its own identity, menu, and target audience, unified under the Strategic Hospitality management umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Catbird Seat Chef-driven, interactive fine-dining tasting-menu restaurant featuring an open kitchen where guests sit around the chef's counter; recognized as one of the best restaurants in the U.S. and a 2013 James Beard Awards finalist for Best New Restaurant.
• The Patterson House Speakeasy-style neighborhood cocktail bar known for its craft mixology program and curated, reservations-recommended atmosphere; serves as one of Strategic Hospitality's flagship cocktail destinations.
• Biscuit Love Casual Southern-inspired breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept known for biscuit-based dishes; operates multiple Nashville locations as a high-traffic, approachable neighborhood staple.
• Nashville International Airport Food & Beverage Outlets Food and beverage outlets operated by Strategic Hospitality inside Nashville International Airport, providing travelers with quick-service and casual dining options across the airport terminal.
• Private Events Private dining, buyouts, and event services offered across Strategic Hospitality's restaurant and bar venues for corporate functions, weddings, rehearsal dinners, and group celebrations.
• Shop (Branded Merchandise) Online and in-venue retail store selling Strategic Hospitality branded merchandise, apparel, hats, and gift items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Locust ranked No. 20 on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nashville CaresminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Henrietta Red participates in Dining Out For Life, donating 25% of all sales to Nashville Cares during the 23rd Annual event supporting HIV awareness and prevention efforts in Middle Tennessee.
• Big Table NashvilleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Multiple Strategic Hospitality events benefit Big Table Nashville, a nonprofit supporting hospitality workers in need. Dine Nashville events and Power Lunch feature this charity partner.
• Visit Music CitycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Visit Music City for Dine Nashville culinary festival, featuring Power Lunch events with Strategic Hospitality chefs. A portion of proceeds supports Big Table and CORE nonprofits.
• Garth Brooks / Trisha YearwoodcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic Hospitality operates Friends In Low Places honky-tonk featuring Garth Brooks' SEVENS Club and Trisha Yearwood's Studio Kitchen. Brand partnership with country music celebrities at 411 Broadway Nashville location.
• Holmes Cay RumminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Bastion Tiki Night events feature Holmes Cay Rum with special cocktail menu. Partnership showcases curated rum selection during themed bar events.
• Island Creek OystersminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Henrietta Red Industry Night featuring Island Creek Oysters from the southern shore of Massachusetts. Complimentary oysters provided for hospitality industry attendees.
• Dalts American GrillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic Hospitality reopening Dalts American Grill, described as the 'Cheers of West Nashville.' This represents acquisition and revival of a beloved local institution under the Strategic Hospitality portfolio.
• WNXP Nashville Public RadiocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Weekly Monday night collaboration at Bastion (7pm-10pm) featuring WNXP-curated albums. $20 cocktail + nacho combo offered for WNXP members. This partnership drives radio listenership to the bar while bringing music culture to the dining experience.
• Bluebird CafecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership brings Bluebird Cafe's iconic songwriter shows to Friends In Low Places during CMA Fest. Events feature Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood collaborators in the SEVENS Club and Studio Kitchen spaces.
• Civic TNminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Henrietta Red partnered with Civic TN for Promote the Vote happy hour events, assisting with voter registration across Nashville. Non-partisan initiative during 2024 election cycle.
• Nashville SoundscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Band Box restaurant located at First Horizon Park, home of Nashville Sounds minor league baseball. Strategic Hospitality provides all food service for the stadium restaurant and concessions.
• Tennessee TitanscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Titans Press Box is the inaugural Tennessee Titans-licensed restaurant concept at Nashville International Airport. Features Titans branding and 'Travel Like a Titan' experience.
• Voodoo DoughnutminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Portland-based Voodoo Doughnut operates an outpost within Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink at Nashville International Airport. This partnership brings the popular handmade confections brand to Nashville travelers, enhancing Kitty Hawk's food offerings with innovative doughnuts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Indigo Road: The Indigo Road is a hospitality group operating a portfolio of restaurants across multiple Southeast markets with similar fine dining, casual, and bar concepts. Closest direct peer to Strategic Hospitality's multi-format hospitality group model with comparable geographic and segment focus.
• Concentric Restaurants: Concentric Restaurants is a multi-concept restaurant group operating fine dining, casual, and bar concepts in similar mid-sized metro markets. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its portfolio breadth and emphasis on chef-driven concepts.
• Parker Restaurant Group: Parker Restaurant Group operates multiple acclaimed fine dining and casual restaurants in New York with a similar multi-concept chef-driven model. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its focus on critically acclaimed destinations and chef talent development.
• Quality Branded: Quality Branded operates a portfolio of New York restaurants spanning fine dining to casual concepts. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its multi-format model and chef-driven approach, though focused exclusively on the NYC market.
• Atlas Restaurant Group: Atlas Restaurant Group operates a multi-concept restaurant portfolio in Baltimore spanning fine dining, steakhouses, and entertainment venues. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its diversified portfolio strategy and regional market dominance approach.

Broad incumbents

• Major Food Group: Major Food Group operates a portfolio of Michelin-starred fine dining and high-volume hospitality concepts (Carbone, Dirty French, The Grill) with significantly larger scale. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in fine dining positioning and brand-led growth strategy.
• Tao Group Hospitality: Tao Group Hospitality operates restaurants, nightclubs, and entertainment venues in major US markets at much larger scale. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its combination of dining concepts (Friends In Low Places) with entertainment venues and airport-adjacent concepts.
• Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises: Lettuce Entertain You is one of the largest independent multi-concept restaurant groups in the US, operating over 60 restaurants across formats. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its portfolio breadth, though at much greater scale and longer operating history.
• Hillstone Restaurant Group: Hillstone Restaurant Group operates Hillstone, R+D Kitchen, and other fine and casual dining concepts nationally. Comparable to Strategic Hospitality in its diverse concept portfolio, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• M Restaurants: M Restaurants is a Nashville-based hospitality operator with multiple restaurant concepts. A regional emerging peer with direct geographic overlap and similar multi-concept approach, though with smaller scale and brand recognition than Strategic Hospitality.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/strategichospitality
• Xx.com/SHprojects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strategic-hospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strategic Hospitality