Ah, Nashville. The city of honky tonks, country music, and party buses. And if you’ve been here long enough to get hungry, you know Nashville is also the city of amazing restaurants. And they’re not just great to eat at—many of them are amazing to work for, too.
If you’re a hospitality professional or someone who is just looking for a change, you can find fulfilling and high-paying work in Nashville. Read on to learn about some of the best restaurants to work for in Nashville, hands down.
Best Restaurants To Work for in Nashville
We dug through all of the best places to be a waitress or waiter and the best restaurants to work at for tips in Nashville so you don’t have to. After all that hard work, we landed on five high-end joints that are perfect for food and beverage workers in the Nashville area. You won’t find many no-tippers or children’s birthday parties at these five best restaurants to work for in Nashville:
1. The Twelve Thirty Club
Justin Timberlake’s Nashville restaurant and bar is booming. They recently set out to hire 160 more employees to support their growth since their full opening in September of 2021. But in this market, they understand that you have to make a pretty solid offer to draw in quality food service talent.
So, that’s what they did. They guaranteed that lead servers would pull in $2,000 per week for the first eight weeks—much more than many of the best places to be a server in the world—and they offered up to $25 per hour for employees in the back of the house. In addition to solid pay and the chance to rub elbows with the Prince of Pop, employment with The Twelve Thirty Club offers health, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a flexible schedule.
2. The Electric Jane
If you’re looking for a buzzy, upbeat work environment that capitalizes on Nashville’s rich music history, you’ll find it working at The Electric Jane. Sitting in a prime location between Music Row and the Gulch, this place is hopping pretty much every time it’s open.
Of course, seasoned servers know that means big money in tips. The restaurant says its servers can make up to $40 per hour without breaking too much of a sweat. That’s $1,600 per week if you’re working full time!
The Electric Jane pushes for an employee-first environment, which is likely to translate to a good work environment for you. That’s backed up by the restaurant’s offer of paid sick time and paid time off—rare gems in the restaurant industry.
3. Drusie & Darr
This is a hotel restaurant that sets itself apart from the pack. You won’t find tired travelers and rowdy wedding party guests at this upscale joint. Instead, you’ll find world-renowned Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten whipping up some of the tastiest, and priciest, dishes in Nashville.
Of course, being expensive doesn’t make a place one of the best restaurants to work for in Nashville, but those who can afford upscale dishes like these can typically also afford handsome tips. On top of that, the restaurant offers health, dental, vision, life, and even pet insurance to employees, as well as 401K matching up to 3%. Stick around long enough, and you could get up to 30 days of PTO per year, too.
4. Barcelona Wine Bar
Barcelona Wine Bar is one of the very few restaurants in Nashville that offers tuition reimbursement to employees. If that’s a benefit you’re on the hunt for, this is one of the best restaurants to work for in Nashville. Really, this fine dining establishment offers the full complement of elite employee benefits, including health, dental, vision, and life insurance, plus PTO.
The prices are high and the clientele fancy, so the potential for high tips is through the roof. Especially because wine is involved, this may be the best restaurant to work at for tips in the area. If you’re looking for a steady gig with great benefits in Nashville, Barcelona Wine Bar is where it’s at.
5. True Food Kitchen
Working at True Food Kitchen is about as close to Oprah Winfrey as many of us will ever get. The mega-star media personality is on the board of directors and invests in the restaurant. Of course, unless you’re the world’s biggest Oprah fan, all of that matters less than the pay and benefits.
True Food Kitchen, which describes itself as upscale casual, attracts health-conscious working professionals who can afford a nice meal out, and that means the tips are pretty solid. The restaurant advertises up to $25 per hour in tips. But it sweetens the deal with health insurance even for part-time employees, as well as dental, vision, life insurance, and a 401K.
Make Money On Your Own Schedule With Qwick
The only problem with this list of the best restaurants to work for in Nashville is that you can only choose one—unless you’re using Qwick. Qwick is a simple, easy-to-use platform that lets you pick up open shifts at top restaurants all over Nashville on your schedule, not theirs.
Nights and weekends? Check. Day shifts? Check. Certain neighborhoods? Check. With Qwick you’re in control, and you can even get paid within 30 minutes of clocking out! If you need extra cash and the freedom and flexibility of making your own schedule, Qwick is the answer. Sign up for Qwick today.
