NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The heart of Music City has always been its small businesses.
Now, as Nashville moves closer to potentially hosting a future Super Bowl, many local business owners and residents are expressing mixed feelings about what the event could mean for the city.
Barrett Hobbs, a longtime business owner in Middle Tennessee, says Nashville’s unique identity was built long before the city’s rapid growth and new developments.
“We are not coming here because we have a new shiny business building,” Hobbs said. “All the big buildings came after the live music scene on Broadway throughout our city.”
Hobbs owns several businesses across Middle Tennessee, including Bootleggers, Doc Holliday’s, The Nashville Palace, and Scoreboard.
Scoreboard is located near the Opryland Hotel. (Photo: FOX 17 News)
He believes it was Nashville’s local culture and small businesses that helped create the national brand attracting major events like the Super Bowl.
“The Super Bowl is coming here because the small businesses built a brand that the globe is interested in,” Hobbs said.
One of Hobbs’ businesses, Scoreboard, is located near the Opryland Hotel. While he says the area already sees a steady flow of customers, he believes Nashville still needs major transportation improvements before hosting an event as large as the Super Bowl.
Scoreboard is located near the Opryland Hotel. (Photo: FOX 17 News)
“Connect areas that are not right on Broadway,” Hobbs said. “The cities that host the Super Bowl are really better prepared with gondolas, mass transit, or trains.”
Transportation and overcrowding are also concerns for some residents.
“We’re not super excited for just the massive influx of people that will bring,” said Nashville resident Tina Sanders.
Experts who study major sporting events say those concerns may be justified.
A professor at North Carolina State University who specializes in mega sporting events says research often shows much of the Super Bowl-related revenue goes to national chains rather than local businesses.
That’s something Hobbs hopes Nashville can avoid if the city lands the event in 2030.
City leaders are expected to address preparations and future planning during a press conference scheduled for tomorrow.