When I started A Little Local Flavor in 2018, I had one dream: create a food tour in Nashville that supported the restaurants, chefs, and local legends that make this city worth visiting in the first place. I wanted to build something that wasn't just another tourist attraction, but a business that made a real impact.
Seven years later, I’m proud (and honestly blown away) to share this milestone:
Thanks to our food tour guests, we have directly contributed over $1,000,000 to locally owned restaurants and small businesses in downtown Nashville!
That number isn’t marketing fluff. It’s meals paid for. Tips left. Cocktail classes booked. Drinks ordered. Desserts devoured.
It’s a million dollars that stayed in this city and supported real people that live in Nashville’s communities.
A Different Kind of Food Tour
Why Our Nashville Food Tours Stand Out
If you search "food tours Nashville", you’ll find a growing list of options. But here’s what makes ours different: we’ve never worked with chains. We don’t partner with corporations. Every stop on our tour is 100% locally owned.
When you take our Nashville walking food tour, you’re:
Eating dishes crafted by local chefs
Supporting bartenders, bakers, chefs, and line cooks who live here
Listening to listening to live music and supporting local musicians and artists
Learning stories about Nashville’s past, present, and future
““This is the only tour I’ve ever taken where I felt like I actually got to know the city.” - Harvey Williams”
Our Guests Made This Happen
A Million-Dollar Impact Through Word of Mouth
This milestone wasn’t reached because of paid ads or influencer gimmicks. It happened because guests, many just like you, took a chance on a locally owned tour company and had an unforgettable experience.
And then they told their friends. And they came back. And they left over 2,300+ five-star reviews.
And with every tour, more dollars stayed in the community.
It turns out, supporting local is contagious.
A Mission Rooted in Community
Built to Be the Best Food Tour in Nashville, and the Most Meaningful
From the beginning, we’ve had three core values:
Only Exceptional Experiences - Our tours are consistently ranked among the best food tours Nashville has to offer.
Keep It Local - All local restaurants, all the time, where all of the food we serve is made from scratch.
Be the Best Part of Someone’s Trip - We want guests to leave saying, “Our Nashville trip wouldn’t have been the same without this.”
““I wasn’t loving Nashville… but after this tour, I wanted to stay. The food, the history, the people ... it made me feel connected.” - Jim Vukelich”
Why Supporting Local Still Matters
Nashville Is Changing - But We’re Still Here
Nashville has changed. World famous Broadway, once 80% locally owned, is now down to only about 20% locally owned establishments. Celebrity bars and corporate takeovers dominate Broadway. Rents have skyrocketed, and independent businesses are being pushed out.
But that’s why what we do matters even more.
Every guest who joins our tour helps:
Keep neighborhood restaurants open
Preserve cultural history and real stories
Create jobs for chefs, servers, guides, and musicians
Sustain a city with soul
When you search for things to do in Nashville, we want you to find experiences that give back.
More Than Just a Tour: A Ripple Effect
Real Stories, Real Impact
The $1 million we've generated didn’t just support restaurant owners. It has helped:
A fourth-generation candy shop continue hand-packing every treat
A bartender who launched his own whiskey brand, successfully open his first tasting room (after years behind the bar at Josephine)
Local guides (many of whom are musicians, actors, and creatives) work toward their dreams.
Like Kyle Elliott, Brittany Moore, Sam Blasko, and Stephanie Joyce, who are all past tour guides that are now a full time musicians.
Or past tour guide and PhD Historian Rachel Martin, who, after gaining huge traction on her 2nd book, A Most Tolerant Little Town, with a positive New York Times review, an interview on C-Span (and more), is now a full-time writer.
Mathew Dwyer recently stopped tour guiding to continue growing him and his wife's real estate business.
And when guests ask where else to eat, drink, or shop? We send them to even more local spots. It's a ripple effect that turns every visit into something bigger.
What’s Next for A Little Local Flavor?
Building Toward the Next Million
We’re not done. We’re doubling down.
Our vision for the next $1 million includes:
Launching new neighborhood tours that support more corners of the city
Partnering with new (and more) family-owned restaurants
Creating behind-the-scenes add-ons that continue to make ours the best tours in Nashville
We’re working on experiences that connect people to places and help our Nashville food tours stand for something deeper than sightseeing.
Want to Help Us Get to the Next $1 Million?
If you’ve taken our tour before - Thank you! You’re part of this story.
If you haven’t yet? We’d love to show you around. Come hungry. Leave inspired.
Book the best food tour in Nashville today, and help us keep Nashville local.