Owners of the former bar Paradise Park in downtown Nashville announced big plans for what the Music City favorite will become.
"Downtown Sporting Club" is the latest concept from local restaurant group Strategic Hospitality.
It will encompass all 42,000 square feet of the 411 Broadway building and include a coffee house, Airbnb's, sports bar and ax throwing.
According to the announcement, Downtown Sporting Club is being designed around the type of place SH owners Benjamin and Max Goldberg want to go to at this point in their lives. While honky-tonks will always have a special place in their hearts, the brothers realize the need for diversity on the popular thoroughfare.
“Having the chance to start over, blank slate, with a building we already knew so well has been really fun,” said Benjamin Goldberg. “We decided to buck the trend a little bit and offer folks an alternative to the existing entertainment options on Broadway. We hope that by creating more diverse options, we can continue to add to the fabric of Broadway the same way we did when we opened Paradise Park in 2007.”
Guests will be greeted by three distinct areas – a Crema, coffee roasters outpost, a small retail area, and a large information desk pertinent to the Downtown Sporting Club and other options for activities and interests in Nashville. Casual seating areas will be sprinkled throughout.
Large glass doors on either side of the communal space will lead into a restaurant open from breakfast through late night and will include elements Strategic Hospitality is known for, such as gracious service and a thoughtful cocktail program.
The menu will be created by Chef Levon Wallace, formerly of Grey & Dudley in 21C Hotel in Nashville, as well as other notable chefs affiliated with SH.
The second floor, affectionately known as The Rec Room, will be complete with a large oval-shaped bar, a variety of seating, and old-fashioned game options. There will also be a large screening room with a 13-foot screen, as well as full food and beverage offerings. It will be the best place in downtown to watch a game. The back half of the floor will be filled with axe throwing lanes. Similar to darts, axe throwing originated in Canadian lumberjack competitions and has been gaining popularity as a sport and pastime in the US recently.
“The success we’ve had with bowling at Pinewood has shown us that people do enjoy group activities. A couple years ago we went axe throwing in Montreal and had the best time, so ever since then it’s been on our radar,” said Max Goldberg. “By offering a space in which you can gather to watch a game or bring a group for axe throwing, we are just constantly creating experiences for our guest every chance we can.”
The third floor will be the sleeping quarters for the Downtown Sporting Club. In an effort to make staying in Nashville more affordable, there will be king, queen and bunk bed rooms available for reservation. As an overnight guest of the Downtown Sporting Club, patrons will have the opportunity to have their entire stay curated by Strategic Hospitality if they so wish.
The garden-inspired rooftop will be a lush and intimate space perched above Broadway. Fire pits, portable seating, and intricate trellises will provide an intimate feel. The Downtown Sporting Club will also have private dining rooms available to rent, as well as the possibility to rent out individual floors.
The Downtown Sporting Club is currently under construction and expected to open Spring 2019. For updates please visit www.broadvarieties.com[broadvarieties.com] or www.downtownsportingclub.com [downtownsportingclub.com]. Strategic Hospitality will be releasing additional information throughout the duration of the project.