Nashville Spotlight: Airbnb guests hurry up to local bar Hurry Back

We’re excited to continue the Nashville Spotlight series — a weekly highlight of stories from the local home sharing community. Nashville residents have democratized travel by turning their largest expense — their homes — into an asset to earn extra income, allowing travelers to live like locals and generate economic activity across the city.

Nashville is built on its strong sense of community and family, which is best experienced by simply strolling through its various neighborhood blocks and local businesses.

“We are a neighborhood bar,” says Tim, manager of the popular watering hole Hurry Back in West Nashville near Vanderbilt. “It’s funny,” he continues. “When you first open a bar, you want to build around an idea you have, but you end up building around the identity of the neighborhood and the regulars. We love that vibe in here — it can feel like Cheers.”

It’s a quirky bar with a welcoming small-town feel, filled with a wide array of local craft beers, good eats, video and board games, and a super competitive trivia scene on week nights.

“Opening a bar, you want to build around an idea you have, but you end up building around the identity of the neighborhood.”

Hurry Back is a relatively new local staple, but the name holds a storied history in the neighborhood. “When we were about to open this place three years ago, we still didn’t have a name,” says Tim. “As we were doing construction, we uncovered some old graphics on the side of the building.” After some research, the owners realized their bar was the original location of a famous local corner store called Hurry Back, and decided to breathe new life into the name. “We decided to use the name, and it’s been real nostalgic for the neighborhood folks, especially the former Vanderbilt students who remember it from way back,” notes Tim.

“When Airbnb guests walk in here they’re getting a true local vibe.”

Since the bar is so close to a major university, many of Hurry Back’s patrons are Airbnb guests visiting the school, or Airbnb hosts sharing their homes nearby. “We do get a lot of Airbnb travelers in here,” says Tim. “It’s great because when they walk in here they’re getting a true local vibe. Our staff is going to take the time to tell them about the neighborhood and provide local recommendations, and introduce them to the city from a local perspective.”

Tim loves meeting Airbnb guests from around the world. “They show me pictures of their trips, and many times they’ll even recommend beers from around the country that we haven’t heard of,” he says. “So we get to learn and research new beers for the bar.”

“Airbnb is affordable, provides a unique space with a great host, and a personal experience. It’s incredible.”

For Tim, the appeal of Airbnb is clear. “For really big events, there just aren’t enough hotel rooms,” he notes. “Many folks can’t afford to come, but with Airbnb it’s affordable, plus you’re going to have a unique space with a great host who will provide a personal experience. It’s incredible.”

“Airbnb travelers stimulate the local economy, which is a great thing for our businesses.”

Hurry Back hopes the city embraces home sharing and the positive effects it brings. “Nashville is southern hospitality, and we want to maintain and preserve what this city is about,” Tim says. With Airbnb, you have a unique travel experience every single time and get local recommendations, and that stimulates the local economy, which is a great thing for our businesses, plus it’s just fun to meet people from around the world.”