Nashville Restaurant Owner Feels Stifled by Rapid City Growth

One Woman’s Struggle Amidst the City’s Evolution

The demand for a piece of Music City, Nashville, is on the rise, and it’s not just the developers eyeing this hot property. However, as everyone races to grasp a bit of the flourishing city, Sarah Gavigan, the owner and founder of Otaku Ramen, harbors genuinely contrasting views. She questions the rapid expansion and wonders, “When is it too much?”

Gavigan set up her business in 2012 and managed to launch her first brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2015. She confesses that the explosion of the city’s growth was beyond her expectations and it poses significant challenges for her.

The Impact of City Growth on Local Businesses

“It was all so calm for such a long time, Nashville had this simple country music identity. But now, it’s evolving into something much bigger,” she shares. “Today, we are dealing with a recession, an over-saturated market, and continuous rampant growth.”

According to the Davidson County Clerk, the issuance of business licenses for eating establishments, including food trucks, took a dramatic leap from 216 in 2013 to a whopping 494 in 2023. As of 2024, another 247 have been procured.

With escalating rents that small businesses cannot keep pace with, Gavigan predicts a grim picture. “Landlords, who aim to multiply their income with higher rents, might oust the existing leaseholders. And the out-of-town developers pose a severe threat to our survival,” she emphasized.

Calls for Protective Measures for Local Businesses

Gavigan has a suggestion that could potentially protect businesses like hers. “The city officials, the Metro, and the tourism board must realize that if they genuinely wish to preserve the mom-and-pop restaurants which have helped construct this city’s identity, they should help us devise a better operational system. We are in dire need of a National Restaurant Association Chapter here in Tennessee. Unfortunately, that’s one thing we don’t have.”

She understands the vitality of growth for a city’s progress but expresses her concerns about its implications. “Perhaps that’s the fate of all other cities. But it wasn’t what I signed up for. I am left wondering, is this the new norm? Or can we weather it out?”

Physical Manifestation of Growth Challenges

Gavigan’s brand, Otaku Ramen, is housed in multiple locations in the city, including one in the Gulch. The construction development in the vicinity has left her business in the Gulch hurting for the past two years. She argues that while everyone fixates on the city’s development, developers seem to overlook the toll their actions have on the local ventures.