2026 USBG National Chapter of the Year
USBG Nashville · National Chapter of the Year
For the people behind Nashville's bars — and everyone invested in what they build.
Become Part of ItOne of many chapters across the country. Nashville put in the hours.
Nashville hospitality professionals.
Bars hosting programming in their neighborhoods.
Peer support gatherings held at Guild Houses across Nashville.
Hours of professional education.
Hours contributed by members.
National Community Outreach Award, then National Chapter of the Year.
The Nashville chapter has been my guiding force for restarting the Knoxville Chapter. Being part of a bigger community and network is what USBG is all about — and that's what I am trying to bring to the Scruffy City.
USBG Nashville is the place that changes that.
More members means more programming. It's that direct.
Member dues fund the programming. Circle Back, education events, all of it.
Mental health support and education programming that didn't exist here five years ago.
People who show up to programs meet each other. Some become regulars.
Once a year, everyone who showed up is in the same room. That's Shift Change.
Monthly sessions, led by a licensed therapist, open to anyone in or around Nashville hospitality.
"I have been working with USBG Nashville since September 2025. Since then, I have learned that the hospitality community is HUNGRY for connection. Not in a way that is superficial, but REAL, AUTHENTIC, HEARTFELT connection. This space is sacred. Safe. Filled with tenderness. Wherever we meet, we laugh, cry and learn together."
A Guild House is a bar that has committed to hosting the work. Education events happen there. Circle Back sessions happen there. The membership shows up.
The people who work there know it.
"It is important to remember that we are all part of a larger community of hospitality professionals. The USBG helps connect us with our peers and mentors. And sometimes we get invitations to fun parties."
Eckhard K. · General Manager, Reunion
"Our goal is to encourage and empower our team to grow in the hospitality business. One of the pillars of this growth is community."
Benjamin R. · Bar Manager, Tall Tales
If your bar is already doing the work, we'd like to talk.
"The USBG gives me hope."
"I've gotten the latest bar open after four years on the lease and am tied to mast in what feels like a million hours a week. I love the updates, events, community, and supportiveness that the USBG represents. It shows that a parallel existence is happening — and gives me hope that once I get the bar on rails, I'll have something worthwhile to look forward to. It shows that Nashville is a real place worth rooting for."
"I joined the USBG when I moved to Atlanta 15 years ago. I would not be who I am today without the community, knowledge, support, and friendship that the guild opens you to."
"No USBG chapter in the country better balances such a diverse group of bartenders."
"Whether through tornadoes, a global pandemic, or an ever changing drinking economy Nashville's hospitality community has been exactly that, a tight-knit community. The Nashville USBG has done an incredible job of connecting the high volume high turnover Broadway bars with innovative small cocktail programs, while supporting the needs and growth of bartenders at both."
If this is your community too, your name belongs here.
Once a year, the people who did the work get to be in the same room. Shift Change is that night.
If this resonated, tell us about yourself. We read everything.
Membership comes with benefits. That's not the main reason people join.
