1 Hotel Nashville opens with three sustainability-focused restaurants

The 215-room 1 Hotel Nashville opened July 12 in downtown Nashville, directly across from the Music City Center and within walking distance of the Country Music Hall of Fame. The self-described “mission-driven luxury hotel” is employing a variety of programs meant to reduce its footprint.

This mission statement is visible in the design of the hotel — with natural materials displayed front and center on the 800-foot exterior ivy wall — and put into action in the property-wide recycling program. 

Hotels and restaurants naturally produce a lot of waste, but 1 Hotel Nashville is working to limit what hits the landfill. 

“We’re consciously and creatively minimizing waste, from sourcing compostable alternatives to plastic, to working directly with haulers to ensure our waste is properly sorted and handled so that it reduces the amount that actually reaches the landfill,” said Crary. 

As part of these efforts, the hotel eliminated single-use plastics, such as cups, bottles and straws. Each kitchen uses recycled glassware, and guests are offered compostable and recyclable take-away materials. 

One of the more innovative tools at their disposal is a glass pulverizer that turns glass into sand. Crary said there are limited glass recycling options in Tennessee, so they took matters into their own hands, bagging the sand so it can be donated to flood risk areas that need assistance.

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The sustainability goals extend to 1 Hotel Nashville’s three dining concepts, which are led by culinary director and “Top Chef” alum Chris Crary, who previously worked at 1 Hotel West Hollywood in Los Angeles.

The flagship restaurant is 1 Kitchen. Located on the ground floor, the space is bright and airy, with floor-to-ceiling windows and garage doors that open to the patio. The design incorporates elements of live greenery and natural wood textures throughout the space.

The restaurant takes local cuisine to a whole new level, with an on-site garden where vegetables and herbs are grown and honeybees are housed. 1 Kitchen’s seasonal menu features hyperlocal ingredients incorporated into dishes like beet wellington, charred cauliflower and chicken Bolognese. Other dishes include a ribeye and pork Milanese, with meat sourced from local Bear Creek Farm and Pig & Leaf Farm, respectively.

“We pay close attention to our sourcing and go to great lengths to find the best possible local and sustainable ingredients,” said Crary, who made regular visits to Tennessee farms to acquaint himself with the area’s purveyors.

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The drinks program embodies the same local and sustainable focus. The wine list highlights biodynamic and organic wines, and the cocktail program reduces waste by repurposing spent citrus peels and coffee grounds to infuse liquors.

For a more casual experience, Neighbors is a grab-and-go café with a wooden farmhouse-style counter, where patrons can order cold-pressed juices, fair trade coffees, baked goods, and picnic fare from local purveyors. 

The third prong of the hotel’s culinary concepts is Harriet’s Rooftop Bar. Located on the 18th floor, the soon-to-open indoor/outdoor bar provides views of the city skyline and features natural decor, with charred wood and greenery. 

Alongside craft cocktails, beers and wines, Harriet’s will serve shareable dishes like spicy tuna and crispy polenta, Korean fried chicken steamed buns, and sushi rolls. The rooftop will also feature weekend programming, with performances by musicians and DJs.