Eric Church Gives First-Look At His Six-Story Nashville Bar, Chief’s
Church’s bar, restaurant, and music venue, Chief’s, will open in 2023.
Eric Church – Chief’s; Photo by Anthony D’Angio; Rendering Courtesy of AJ Capital
Eric Church is giving fans a first look inside his highly-anticipated Nashville bar, restaurant, and music venue, Chief’s.
The country superstar shared exterior and interior renderings of Chief’s, developed in partnership with AJ Capital’s Ben Weprin, on Monday morning (Dec. 5). These new photos offer a first look at the six-story project, which is set to open at 200 Broadway in 2023.
“I’ve had a blast working with Ben on the design of Chief’s,” Church shared in a statement. “Like everything we do with our music, the same care and consideration has gone into every detail of this place. It will be unrivaled downtown. I can’t wait to play here…”
Construction for Chief’s is well underway. The establishment is described as a “gathering place for all” and will include a ticketed music venue, additional live entertainment throughout the building, a studio for live broadcasting, and many unique decorations such as over 3,000 concert posters from throughout Church’s iconic career.
“Well, there’s gonna be a studio in Chief’s, and we’re going to do a lot of stuff live there,” Church added. “We’re going to do a couple of exclusive shows there. And I’m going to play… It’s going to be a different show. It’s going to be 470 people. It’s a venue. So it’s a ticketed venue.”
Additionally, Chief’s will pay homage to the former CMA Entertainer of the Year’s North Carolina roots with a Whole Hog BBQ restaurant by Rodney Scott, a barbecue pit master and James Beard award-winner.
“I am beyond excited to not only bring Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ to Music City, but to also partner with my good friends Eric and Ben on this project,” Scott shared. “Anyone who knows me, knows that I love music – so the opportunity to expand the brand in partnership with an award-winning musician makes this project extra special! I can’t wait to share our Carolina roots and our whole hog BBQ with the incredible people of Nashville.”
Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ restaurant will be located on the bar’s rooftop, which overlooks the Music City skyline on the “Hell Of A Q” Rooftop offering.
“Chief’s is an example of impactful design storytelling at its finest,” says Weprin, CEO and Founder of AJ Capital Partners. “We are excited to bring an experience unparalleled in the world of music, food, and entertainment to the heart of Broadway with one of the most storied properties downtown has seen. Through Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, two seated music venues and a meaningful design, Chief’s is a physical manifestation to Eric Church and his musical legacy.”
The bar’s namesake comes from Church’s longtime nickname and his 2011 album, Chief.
Additionally, Church recently sat down with Storme Warren of SiriusXM’s The Highway to share a few additional details of Chief’s.
“There will be a studio that will be broadcasting live, and we’ll be recapturing that, and there’ll be other shows involved,” Church explained. “But our station, Outsiders Radio, will be a big part of Chief’s and what it is.”
While discussing the 470-capacity venue inside Chief’s, Church revealed that the space will bring a very intimate setting for performances.
“It’s gonna be more of a storyteller/songwriter, stories about my life, challenges I’ve had, songs that relate to that, just me being on a stage, no mics, no gear, just me,” Church explained. “…. I’m gonna walk around. It’s not going to be [me in] a set position. It’s going to be a little bit like a Broadway show. It’s going to be like Bruce’s except it’s a different Broadway. Broadway South (laughs)… It’s gonna be fun.”
The bar will also feature the original sign from The Fiddle And Steel, the Printer’s Alley bar where Church got his start after struggling to make it on Lower Broadway in Music City.
“I really couldn’t get on Broadway,” Church recalled. “The reason I went to Printer’s Alley and went to The Fiddle And Steel is because that’s where kind of the misfits went, outside rejects. The people that weren’t allowed to play on Broadway. [It] took a lot, especially when I came to town. It took a lot to play on Broadway. There weren’t as many places, and the places were pretty coveted. Especially if you tried to play there, it was pretty stacked up. Those people, you know, they didn’t give up their slots and so we would always go… all the musicians and artists that were counted as the misfits, we would end up on Printer’s Alley at The Fiddle And Steel.”
“The other part of the story that’s interesting is we got the original sign that hung in that Alley at The Fiddle And Steel. It’s going to hang at Chief’s,” Church shared. ”We found it. We found it two days ago. A guy had it, a guy who was a general manager at the bar when the bar dissolved. He had it. It took a while to find him, it has taken months to find him. But we found him, and we got the sign. So it’ll hang in Chief’s. I’m very proud of that.”
While reflecting on the early stages of his career, Church said that he hopes Chief’s will embody his journey as an artist, from his humble beginnings to his superstar status.
“I remember driving through downtown Nashville over 20 years ago with a pawn shop guitar, riding shotgun in a beat-to-hell truck just trying to chase a dream,” Church previously shared. “Chief’s is the culmination of catching that dream. Like everything else we do in our career, I wouldn’t even attempt a project like this if I didn’t think it would be the best, so that’s what Chief’s will be: the best. So two things… One is to be on Broadway. What I hope our place has – and it will have – is the [musical] spirit of that.
In October 2021, AJ Capital Partners paid $24.5 million for Cotton Eyed Joe, a building previously owned by Big & Rich’s John Rich, which will now be home to Church’s honky-tonk.
Church will join fellow country superstars who also have bars in Downtown Nashville, including Alan Jackson (AJ’s Good Time Bar), Luke Bryan (Luke Bryan’s 32 Bridge), Jason Aldean (Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar), Florida Georgia Line (FGL House), Miranda Lambert (Miranda Lambert’s Casa Rosa Nashville), Dierks Bentley (Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row), Blake Shelton (Old Red), Kid Rock (Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk) and John Rich (Redneck Riveria Bar & BBQ).
Chief’s is set to open sometime in 2023.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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