EO Member Benjamin Goldberg is featured in this month’s NFocus as one of
5 Nashvillians inducted into the 2011 Class of “Renaissance Men.”
The other four inductees are: Steve Turner, Sam Felker, Will Cheek and
Benjamin’s brother, Max. Two notable Nashvillians were also named to the
Renaissance Man Hall of Fame: the late Guilford Dudley Jr., former president
of Life & Casualty Co. and US Ambassador to Denmark, and John Seigenthaler,
former editor and publisher of The Tennessean and founder of the First
Amendment Center.
To be an NFocus Renassiance Man one must be “a gentleman who is interested
in, and knows a lot about many things, but with a certain Southern style.”
Benjamin’s broad knowledge of the restaurant business is obvious by the
success of the restaurants he and his brother own: Merchants, The
Patterson House, Paradise Park and Aerial. And, of course, all four venues
are paragons of Southern style.
Congratulations to EO’s first Renaissance Man. The below excerpt is from the June 2011 Nfocus article.
Max and Benjamin Goldberg
You may describe either of them or their creations as “happening,” “hip” or “cool.” Employ whichever adjective you personally favor to describe any one of the entertainment venues that are the brainchildren of brothers Max and Benjamin Goldberg.
In earlier times, Nashville had restaurateurs and saloon keepers and a few people who were both. But these brothers have, in a relatively short time, built Strategic Hospitality, LLC. into a company with memorable venues that locals and tourists are clamoring to visit. Current holdings include: Paradise Park Trailer Park Resort, a tongue-in-cheek rendition of a southern trailer park, Aerial, an upscale private event space on the rooftop above Paradise Park, with iconic views; The Patterson House, a restaurant and bar with high-end cocktails that has received national press from The New York Times, The Post’s Page Six, GQ magazine, The Tennessean, and Spirit by Southwest Airlines and historic Broadway’s beloved cornerstone of upscale renewal, The Merchants.
Big brother Benjamin is the founder and empire co-owner. He attended The University of Miami and pursued a business degree in entrepreneurship during the peak of South Beach’s boom. It was during this time that he became engaged in the hospitality business, working at various bars and restaurants. He blazed a trail back to his hometown in 2003.
Not too many years later, younger brother Max graduated from the University of Denver, where he was student body president and recipient of the university’s highest honor, The Pioneer Award. He began his career in strategic consulting at top firms in Manhattan. Though New York City was appealing, (Hampton’s magazine named him one of the most eligible bachelors in NYC) he leapt at the chance to own his own business with his brother. Their bond is noticeably tight and strong. In a 2010 interview with Carrington Fox in The Nashville Scene, Max said, “When we opened up The Patterson House, I gave Benjamin an antique pocket watch. I had it engraved to say, ‘You are my best friend, my brother and my business partner. Let us never forget that order.’”
The fast-paced, seemingly all-encompassing business doesn’t keep them from contributing to our community in numerous ways. Max has coached basketball at KIPP Academy, and Ben serves on the alumni board of University School of Nashville. Aerial was the host site for “Gatsby for Grace,” a 1920s-themed fundraiser for the Grace M. Eaton Childcare Center, which provides childcare and educational development to children of working parents or parents enrolled in educational or job-training programs.
