MenuSpy / City reports / Nashville, TN
Market snapshot · October 2026
Nashville, TN restaurant market snapshot
What local menus charge, which weeks fill the town, and which rules change the math, for operators in Nashville, TN. Every number links to the page it came from.
In Nashville, TN (checked October 2026), we read 6 prices from 2 local menus. Restaurant meals are taxed at 9.75%, the minimum wage is $7.25 per hour ($2.13 tipped cash wage), and 3 events have published dates in the next twelve months.
CMA Fest 2026 average daily attendance (as reported by WSMV): an estimated 100,000 fans each day; visitors from all 50 states and 39 countries (CMA Fest 2026 (article dated 2026-08-14)) source
Population and income: US Census QuickFacts.
Observed menu prices
6 prices read from 2 independent menus on October 1, 2026, from the restaurants' own websites or first-party ordering pages. Delivery-app prices are excluded. A median is shown only when three or more observations exist. This is a small sample; use it as a range check, not a rule.
| Benchmark item | Observations | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheeseburger | 1 | $13.99 | n too small | $13.99 |
| Chicken sandwich | 1 | $12.99 | n too small | $12.99 |
| Large cheese pizza | 1 | $16.00 | n too small | $16.00 |
| Breakfast plate (2 eggs, meat, side) | 1 | $13.99 | n too small | $13.99 |
| Entree salad with protein | 1 | $14.99 | n too small | $14.99 |
| Fountain soda | 1 | $3.49 | n too small | $3.49 |
Part of the MenuSpy Menu Price Index. Restaurant names are kept in our source file and not published; a paid report names them and links each menu.
The next 12 months
Dates come from organizer or official pages opened on October 1, 2026. An event with a published 2026 or 2027 date is marked confirmed. Everything else is a recurring pattern with its date not yet announced, listed so you can watch for it, not staff for it.
Confirmed dates
Tennessee Titans 2026 home season (Nissan Stadium)
Home games Sun 09/13 (Jets), 09/20 (Eagles), 10/11 (Texans), 10/25 (Browns), 11/15 (Jaguars), 12/06 (Commanders), 12/20 (Colts), 01/03 (Steelers) · Tennessee Titans
Eight Sunday home games fill East Bank and downtown bars and restaurants before and after kickoff.
St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Running Series
April 24–25, 2027 · Rock 'n' Roll Running Series
Marathon weekend brings tens of thousands of runners and spectators downtown and closes streets, shifting brunch and carb-loading demand.
CMA Fest 2027
June 10-13, 2027, at the new Nissan Stadium · Country Music Association (reported by WSMV)
Four days of roughly 100,000 fans per day downtown is the single largest annual demand spike for Nashville restaurants and bars.
Recurring, dates not yet announced
Tomato Art Fest
Last held August 7-8, 2026, Five Points, East Nashville. Next date not announced on the page checked. · Tomato Art Fest
A two-day street festival that packs the Five Points restaurant and bar district in East Nashville.
Music City Grand Prix (IndyCar, Nashville Superspeedway)
2027 tickets offered; 2026 race referenced as July 20, 2026 (Alex Palou win); no 2027 date stated · Music City Grand Prix
A summer race weekend that draws out-of-town motorsport fans who stay and eat in Nashville.
Music City Bowl
Nashville's holiday tradition since 1998; no upcoming date stated; tickets 'Currently Unavailable' · Music City Bowl
A late-December college bowl game brings two visiting fan bases downtown during the holiday lull.
Rules that hit the P&L
Minimum wage: $7.25 per hour, tipped cash wage $2.13
Effective July 24, 2009. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies. Federal tipped cash wage per US DOL.
Sales tax on restaurant meals: 9.75%
Tennessee general state sales tax rate 7% (TN DOR) + Davidson County local sales tax 2.75% effective February 1, 2025 (TN DOR Important Notice; voters approved a 0.5% surcharge on the local option sales tax). Sum computed from the two sourced rates.
Food service license
The licensing agency for this city was not confirmed when this page was checked. Start with the county or state health department.
Local signals
Recent local reporting on the Nashville restaurant scene. One article is a signal, not a trend; a trend needs two independent publishers.
At least 13 Nashville restaurants closed in the first half of 2026
WSMV's running list counts 13 closures in 2026, with owners citing rising property taxes, rent and failed lease negotiations; closures include 119-year-old Varallo's, Pelican & Pig, Burger Up (16 years) and E3 Chophouse.
Nine O'Charley's locations across Middle Tennessee closed abruptly
O'Charley's shut nine Middle Tennessee locations (Bellevue, Hermitage, Franklin, Lebanon, Manchester, Gallatin, Springfield, Clarksville, Hopkinsville) on the same evening with no stated reason.
Coverage and limits
This is a dated snapshot built from public pages opened on October 1, 2026. It is not a sales forecast, legal advice or a site approval. Menus, calendars and rules change; open the linked source before acting.
Not confirmed when this page was checked:
- Tipped minimum wage: the US DOL state page does not state the federal $2.13 tipped cash wage; not confirmed from a fetched page.
- Food service licensing agency page (Metro Public Health Department / TN Dept of Health) not fetched within budget.
- Official tourism bureau visitor figure not captured (visitmusiccity.com annual-events page returned 404).
- Price observations: only 6 from 2 restaurants; no taco, wings, Cuban, or draft beer price captured (Pancake Pantry menu is PDF-only, Mas Tacos and Hugh-Baby's blocked by robots, Party Fowl lists no prices).
- Music City Grand Prix 2027 and Music City Bowl 2026 dates not announced on organizer pages.
Questions operators ask
What is the sales tax on restaurant meals in Nashville, TN?
9.75%. Tennessee general state sales tax rate 7%.
What is the minimum wage for restaurant workers in Nashville?
$7.25 per hour, with a tipped cash wage of $2.13, effective July 24, 2009. Tennessee has no state minimum wage law; the federal rate applies. Federal tipped cash wage per US DOL.
Want this for one restaurant in Nashville?
A one-time $79 report names the nearby menus, links every price, lists a year of local dates and the rules that apply to your address. Sources linked. No account.
Related: all city reports · menu price index · restaurant pricing strategy guide