Jelly Roll’s new Lower Broadway bar, Goodnight Nashville, is rapidly coming together for opening day.
It’s one of several star-owned bars on Nashville’s downtown strip, but in at least one big way, Jelly’s establishment stands out: He’s got a whole section of the bar dedicated to his wife.
Bunnie Xo — who is also known as a podcaster and internet personality — took a tour of her wing of Goodnight Nashville recently, documenting her reaction to seeing the finished product for the very first time.
In the video, which she posted to social media, fans can see Bunnie looking around in amazement as she tours the area, surrounded by a group of friends.
As she continues her tour, she sees all the Bunnie-themed decor, including a giant portrait of her and a sign that reads “In Hoes We Trust.”
Finally, she makes her way through a crowd of partygoers and hops up onstage to break in the dance floor.
Jelly Roll’s Nashville Bar
Jelly first announced that he was opening Goodnight Nashville in October.
The bar’s website promises five stories of entertainment with the tallest rooftop of any star bar in Music City.
Personal touches are everywhere: Along with a floor dedicated to Bunnie, Goodnight Nashville will feature a back bar called Buddy’s Bar, devoted to Jelly’s late father Horace “Buddy” DeFord.
Jelly has said that he’s the first Nashville native to get his own branded Music City bar.
The singer has found multiple ways to make sure his hot spot stands out among Nashville’s celebrity-owned bars. His will offer a one-of-a-kind souvenir: Tattoos
23 Country Stars With Their Own Bars + Restaurants
Of all of the side hustles country artists could partake in, opening a bar or restaurant is the most fitting — and very common. After all, many of these stars got their start on a barstool, tip jar nearby, playing their music for anyone who would listen.
These places feel like home for many of these singers. Over the years, several artists have gotten into the bar or restaurant game, and for a select few, brands have turned into franchises with several locations and/or concepts — we’re looking at you, Jimmy Buffett!
Let’s take a look at the country star food and entertainment venues that have opened over the years.
Gallery Credit: Jess
Kenny Rogers: Kenny Rogers Roasters
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Kenny Rogers: Kenny Rogers Roasters
In 1991, Kenny Rogers opened a chicken franchise with former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr. called Kenny Rogers Roasters. The concept quickly expanded to 350 locations across the nation. However, due to a legal battle with Clucker’s over the “wood-roasted chicken” concept and competition from Boston Market, the restaurant filed for bankruptcy in 1998 and closed its U.S. locations. The brand was sold off to a Malaysian company, which still operates multiple Roasters spots across Asia.
Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville
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Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville
Jimmy Buffett began his Margaritaville empire in 1985 with the opening of his first location in Key West, Fla. He attempted to open a location in Gulf Shores, Ala., but it did not succeed. The Florida restaurant concept stuck, and soon the brand expanded to more than 32 locations across the globe, including 8 airport locations. The brand has since branched out into a line of hotel, casino and vacation club chains. It even became a cruise line in 2021. In addition, the restaurant’s success spawned a sister company, Cheeseburger in Paradise, which debuted in 2002. However, that brand liquidated in 2020.
Pat Green: The Rustic
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Pat Green: The Rustic
The Rustic’s first location was opened in Dallas in 2013. Pat Green opened the venue in a partnership with Free Range Concepts, offering Tex-Mex cuisine and live music. The bar and restaurant expanded into San Antonio, Texas, in 2017, with two locations in Houston, Texas opening soon after.
Dolly Parton: Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction
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Dolly Parton: Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction
Dolly Parton has her own way of doing things, and her Stampede Dinner Attraction is no exception. The singer created a dinner and rodeo experience for her guests. In addition to a four-course feast, the show features horses, trick riding, competitions, music and more. There are currently locations in Branson, Mo., and Pigeon Forge, Tenn., at her famous Dollywood theme park. The park also features a dinner attraction called Pirate’s Voyage.
Kid Rock: Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse
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Kid Rock: Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse
Kid Rock — whose real name is Robert Ritchie — first opened his Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse in 2018. Although he’s an enigma when it comes to genres, blending rap, rock, and hip hop, he has established a presence in country music with his country-rock style.
John Rich: Redneck Riviera
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John Rich: Redneck Riviera
John Rich first opened Redneck Riviera on the strip in Las Vegas in 2018, with the Nashville location’s ribbon cutting ceremony coming just a few months later. The Music City venue consists of two brick buildings that were originally constructed in the 1850s. In addition to food, drinks and entertainment, the venue features a special bar just for veterans, active duty military and first responders to enjoy buy-one, get-one deals. The Vegas location has since closed.
CLOSED: Florida Georgia Line: FGL House
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Although Florida Georgia Line are currently on a break musically, pursuing solo projects, FGL House remains a place for FGL fans to congregate in Nashville. The duo first opened the rustic, Southern-inspired entertainment space in 2017. Perhaps the location will serve as the perfect reunion show for Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley someday.
Alan Jackson: AJ’s Good Time Bar
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Alan Jackson: AJ’s Good Time Bar
Good Time was the perfect name for Alan Jackson’s Nashville bar — the entertainment venue shares its name with his 2007 album and subsequent 2008 single. AJ’s Good Time Bar opened its doors in 2016. The building comes with a lot of history, including serving as the home for Bullet Records when it opened in the 1940s.
Toby Keith: I Love This Bar & Grill
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Toby Keith: I Love This Bar & Grill
In 2005, Toby Keith brought his iconic 2003 hit “I Love This Bar” to life. The singer opened Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in his home state of Oklahoma. The first location took up residence in Oklahoma City, but it wasn’t long before Tulsa and Thackerville, Okla., as well as Las Vegas, had their own locations. At one point, Toby Keith’s Bar & Grill had more than a dozen restaurants in operation, but between 2014 and 2015, several of those closed their doors. In 2022, a new location opened in Moore, Okla.
Luke Bryan: Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink
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Luke Bryan: Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink
In 2018, Bryan opened the doors to his massive six-story bar and entertainment venue, Luke’s 32 Bridge Food + Drink in Nashville. The name comes from a bridge in his hometown where Route 32 crosses over the Flint River in Georgia.
Dierks Bentley: Whiskey Row
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Dierks Bentley: Whiskey Row
Dierks Bentley began his bar and entertainment venture in Scottsdale, Ariz., with the opening of the first Whiskey Row location in 2013. In 2017 he expanded into Gilbert, Ariz., before opening his Nashville location in 2018. Most recently he brought the Whiskey Row brand to Denver in 2021. Bentley describes the brand as “an American gastropub.” The “Gold” singer was excited to create a space that could launch the careers of aspiring artists like he was when he first moved to Music City.
Jason Aldean: Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar
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Jason Aldean: Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar
Aldean opened Jason Aldean’s Kitchen + Rooftop Bar in Nashville in 2018. Five years later, in July 2023, he opened his second location in Gatlinburg, Tenn. The “If I Didn’t Love You” singer was inspired to create a space for country music lovers to hang out and enjoy themselves with good food and drinks. He told the Tennessean the peach cobbler on the menu is his mother’s recipe.
Miranda Lambert: Casa Rosa
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Miranda Lambert: Casa Rosa
Miranda Lambert became the first female with a bar and entertainment venue in Nashville when the doors of Casa Rosa opened in 2021. Pegged as “A Little Taste of Texas in Tennessee,” the establishment offers guests a seat at Lambert’s table, with Tex-Mex cuisine. The space is filled with memorabilia from Lambert’s career, including the massive birdcage she used in her music video for “Bluebird.” In addition to delicious Southern dishes, Casa Rosa is a great place to get a glass of Lambert’s Red 55 wine.
Reba McEntire: Reba’s Place
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Reba McEntire: Reba’s Place
When it came to opening her own restaurant and entertainment space, Reba McEntire opted for a location close to her heart. Reba’s Place is located in Atoka, Okla., in the same county where the singer grew up. McEntire was approached about opening her own space to help revitalize the tiny downtown area of Atoka a few years ago, and the doors finally opened in January 2023. The star helped curate the menu and atmosphere, which is very down home and welcoming.
Blake Shelton: Ole Red
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Blake Shelton: Ole Red
Shelton opened Ole Red’s first location in his hometown of Tishomingo, Okla., in 2017. Since then he has expanded to three other locations: Nashville, Tenn. (2018), Gatlinburg, Tenn. (2019), and Orlando, Fla. (2020). The “No Body” singer opened a smaller location in the Nashville International Airport in 2022 and plans on cutting the red ribbon on a Las Vegas location by 2024. The Nashville location serves as the set for Shelton’s outrageous reality competition series, Barmageddon. Ole Red is a hot spot for food and drinks, but also a platform for up-and-coming artists to share their music.
Eric Church: Chief’s
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Eric Church: Chief’s
Eric Church opened his own bar and entertainment venue, Chief’s in 2023. Named after Church’s nickname, Chief’s will be a six-story honky-tonk with live music and delicious barbecue. The rooftop restaurant will be known as “Hell of a Q” — a play on his song “Hell of a View.”
Garth Brooks: Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk
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Garth Brooks: Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk
At long last, fans’ prayers have been answered, as Garth Brooks finally opened his own bar and entertainment venue, Friends in Low Places. The space operates like a classic honky-tonk featuring an “oasis” on the rooftop. Brooks celebrated the soft opening of the bar on Nov. 24, 2023 with an intimate live show. Fans can enjoy the first two levels of entertainment, but the other three stories will officially open on March 7, 2024
Lainey Wilson
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Lainey Wilson
Lainey Wilson opened Bell Bottoms Up in 2024. The entertainment venue – aptly named after the singer’s signature style – features two stages and four bars. The rooftop also features a dance floor with a retro western vibe. The menus includes craft cocktails and Louisiana-inspired dishes like catfish, Cajun pasta and a shrimp boil.
Morgan Wallen: This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen
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Morgan Wallen: This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen
Morgan Wallen has thrown his hat into the ring for a bar space in Nashville. This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen opened June 1, 2024. The six-story venue features several bars, including a rooftop watering hole, with plenty of live music. As for the restaurant, Wallen had a hand in curating the menu with some of his own “family favorites” from his mom’s kitchen.
Luke Combs: Category 10
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Luke Combs: Category 10
In 2023, Luke Combs announced his plans for his own restaurant and bar space in Nashville. The venue will be called Category 10 and will occupy the old Wildhorse Saloon. Combs’ bar is scheduled to open on Nov. 10, 2024. The venue’s renovations will transform the space into the largest entertainment complex on the Lower Broadway strip with 69,000 square feet of space, housing 3,200 guests.
Riley Green: Duck Blind
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Riley Green: Duck Blind
Riley Green opened his own bar and restaurant in Music City in Fall 2024. As an avid duck hunter, it’s no surprise his place is called Duck Blind. After filing a permit on Aug. 7, the bar was already up and running in time for Labor Day Weekend. The fast turnaround for the watering hole was possible because Duck Blind took over the old Winners Bar & Grill location in Midtown.
Shania Twain – TBA
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Shania Twain – TBA
Multiple sources say Shania Twain is the next country artist to open her own bar in Nashville. While details are scarce, the Nashville Business Journal claims she’s working with Nashville Underground on a new concept. The Nashville Underground restaurant and bar is opened by pop singer Gavin DeGraw and his brother Joey. A name and opening date has yet to be announced.
Jelly Roll: Goodnight Nashville
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Jelly Roll: Goodnight Nashville
Plans for Jelly Roll’s watering hole were announced in Oct. 2024. Although details are sparse, Goodnight Nashville is in the works and will features a special back bar dedicated to Jelly Roll’s father. The singer – who’s real name is Jason DeFord – is the son of Horace “Buddy” DeFord who passed in 2019. A designated bar area will be called “Buddy’s” in honor of his dad. A location for the bar and an opening timeline have yet to be revealed.
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