The Fab Four’s Benjamin Goldberg Talks One Year of Friends In Low Places Ahead of Anniversary

Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's Music City food and music destination Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk will celebrate its one-year anniversary in March with an emphasis on Friends. 

As we count down the days to the month-long celebration, Garth, Trisha, and several friends who help keep the 54,715-square-foot entertainment complex running like a well-oiled music machine, will share their thoughts on the bar's first year.

Benjamin Goldberg of Strategic Hospitality helps oversee all things hospitality at Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk. He's been there since the beginning – watching workers install the sweeping dancefloor, construct multiple bars on each level, and even haul palm trees to the rooftop Oasis. 

When it comes to Trisha's mouthwatering food, the cutting-edge light, sound, and screen technology, and a tropical rooftop full of frozen drinks and Nashville's best chicken strips, he was part of that, too. And like everyone else, Benjamin couldn't be prouder of FILP's customer service.

1. What is your favorite memory?
The people. I've genuinely loved meeting so many different people and sharing unique, unforgettable moments with them. Each is different, but they are all special. 

2. What have you learned in the first year?
The best moments aren't always the ones you plan - they happen when the right energy, people, and atmosphere come together. It's about creating the space for those oh SH!T! moments...things people don't even realize are shaping their experience and making the biggest impact. 

3. What has been your biggest surprise?
Realizing just how many people have their own personal connection to the song. It transcends age, background, and beliefs - everyone seems to have a story or a memory tied to it. 

4. What do you want to add?
I want to keep finding ways to create more oh SH!T! moments — things people never see coming but will never forget. Those little surprises that turn a regular night into something legendary. A name on the LED screens welcoming them,  confetti,  a personal interaction, or a surprise music and DJ set are always epic.  

5. What do people like the most?
The people who work here. It's just a really wonderful group - talented, kind, and genuinely fun to be around. 

Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, located at 411 Broadway, is open from 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. Monday – Friday, and Saturday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 2 a.m. It is a cashless bar but accepts all major credit cards. The Honky-Tonk is for all ages every day until 8 p.m., but the rooftop The Oasis is always 21+.