Music City’s independent restaurant association, known as the Nashville Originals, has announced the launch of a new mobile app that offers diners everything from foodie news and restaurant information to a tip calculator—available for free, right from their smartphones.
The nearly 60 Nashville Originals members are local restaurateurs dedicated to sustaining the independent restaurant as a fixture of Nashville’s culture and community. Member restaurants–which range from fine dining to ethnic options, burger joints and more–together support community initiatives and charities and host several events throughout the year, such as Nashville Restaurant Week in January and August.
“Based on the success of our printed Red Book guide to Nashville’s dining scene, it was a natural transition to offer that information in a more readily available and interactive format. We’ve seen web traffic as high as 60,000 visits a month, so we know the interest is there,” said Tom Loventhal, president of the Nashville Originals and co-owner in the Noshville Delicatessens and Blue Moon Waterfront Grille at Rock Harbor Marina. “Now locals and visitors can access a full repository of member restaurant information from the palm of their hand, for free. It’s an incredible resource.”
Features include a calendar for the Originals, local restaurant and other food-based events of interest; individual member restaurant pages with maps and contact information, links to websites, social media accounts, reservations, and other key details; a photo gallery where diners can explore eateries inside and out, along with menu highlights, and also share their pictures with other diners; available job opportunities at Originals locations; a tip calculator and more.
The app can also serve as a resource for local restaurants looking for more information about joining the Nashville Originals, as it includes tabs with membership requirements as well as an application.
“There are a lot of food apps out there, but this one is unique in that it allows diners to specifically search local institutions in Nashville and Williamson County that are passionate about preserving our city’s great dining culture,” said Loventhal. “That’s our mission, and technology is allowing us to continue to advance our cause.”
You can download the Nashville Originals app for free on any mobile device through the App Store.
Established in 2006 as the city’s not-for profit independent restaurant association, the Nashville Originals are locally owned and loved culinary institutions, ranging from casual eateries to fine dining establishments. Together, the Originals support each other as fixtures of the growing culinary community that continues to enjoy national acclaim. For more information, visit www.nashvilleoriginals.com.
