In this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, I sit down with Carey Bringle, owner of Peg Leg Porker and a longtime downtown Nashville operator, for a candid conversation about the realities of doing business in a rapidly changing city.

Carey doesn’t hold back.

We dive straight into the impact of significant property tax increases on small business owners and why he believes the current trajectory is putting independent operators at risk. Carey shares his personal experience navigating rising costs and explains why frustration is growing among local business owners who feel unheard.

From there, the conversation expands into a broader discussion about city leadership, policy decisions, and what support for small businesses should actually look like.

Carey also lays out what he would do differently if he were mayor — offering a perspective grounded in firsthand experience as an operator who lives with these challenges every day.

This episode is a raw, honest look at the pressure facing Nashville’s independent restaurant community — and a conversation about where the city goes from here.

In This Episode

• Carey Bringle’s experience as a downtown Nashville business owner

• The impact of rising property taxes on independent restaurants

• Why small business owners are feeling overlooked

• The broader cost pressures: insurance, food, and operations

• Where Carey believes the city is falling short

• What Carey would do differently if he were mayor

• A larger conversation about the future of Nashville’s restaurant community