Who We Are
Strategic Hospitality is a Nashville-based hospitality company founded in 2006 by brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg. The company has since created various concepts that have contributed to the fabric of the city’s dining culture. Benjamin and Max, who were raised in Nashville, are deeply committed to supporting the local community and upholding the kindness for which the city is known. In August 2023, Chef Josh Habiger joined Benjamin and Max Goldberg as partner, further enriching the company’s expertise in hospitality.
To date, the portfolio includes Merchants, The Patterson House, The Catbird Seat, The Band Box, The Country Club at The Band Box, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Locust, Kisser, and newly opened in the Nashville International Airport, The Titans Press Box, Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink, and Voodoo Doughnut. The Goldberg brothers’ nomination for the 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur attests to their entrepreneurial drive, innovative ideas, and focus on exceptional customer service within each of their establishments.
Julia Sullivan, Chef + Co-Owner, Henrietta Red
Julia was born and raised in Nashville and attended Tulane University and The Culinary Institute of America. From there, Julia moved to New York and spent time in the kitchens of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Per Se, and Franny’s before moving home to open Henrietta Red.
Since opening in 2017, Henrietta Red was named one of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit in 2017, one of GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America 2018, and was recognized as a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist in the Best New Restaurant category. Additionally, Julia was named one of the Best Young Chefs in America by Robb Report, one of the Best New Chefs in 2018 by Food & Wine, and recognized as a 2019 semifinalist and a 2020 finalist in the JBFA Best Chef: Southeast category.
Trevor Moran, Chef + Co-Owner, Locust
In January 2014, Trevor Moran debuted as the executive chef of The Catbird Seat, a renowned tasting room in the Midtown neighborhood of Nashville, TN. After nearly leaving Nashville in December 2015, Moran's bond with the city persisted, leading to his role as Culinary Consultant for Strategic Hospitality in 2016.
By October 2020, Moran and Strategic Hospitality launched Locust in Nashville's 12South neighborhood. Initially focused on seafood, dumplings, and shaved ice, the restaurant now emphasizes Moran's Irish heritage and his expertise from global top-tier kitchens. As of 2023, Locust champions modern Irish and British cuisine, spotlighting seafood and intricate sauce work.
Locust was honored as Food & Wine Magazine's 2022 Restaurant of the Year and featured in The New York Times' 2022 Restaurant List. In 2023, Moran was nominated as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation.
Josh Habiger, Chef + Co-Owner, Bastion | Partner, Strategic Hospitality
Josh Habiger started his 14-year journey with Strategic Hospitality in 2009, when he played a pivotal role in the opening of The Patterson House. In 2011, he co-founded and was the opening co-chef of The Catbird Seat, gaining national acclaim as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2012 and an All-Star in 2013. Under his tutelage, The Catbird Seat was recognized as one of Bon Appétit’s The Hot 10: Best New Restaurants in America and GQ’s The Ten Best New Restaurants in America.
Moving on to serve as Culinary Director, Habiger crafted Pinewood Social's initial menu, achieving a James Beard Best New Restaurant nomination. In 2016, he opened Bastion, which gained recognition as a Best New Restaurant from Southern Living, EATER, and the James Beard Foundation.
Habiger has been honored as a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast from 2018 to 2020 and became a finalist in the category in 2023. Currently a partner in Strategic Hospitality, Habiger continues to serve as chef / co-owner at Bastion while also contributing to Strategic Hospitality’s wider initiatives.
Brian Lea and Leina Horii, Chefs + Co-Owners, Kisser
Brian Lea, a California native, honed his skills under chefs like Charlie Palmer and Jose Andres before becoming sous chef at Husk Nashville. He later moved to LA where he served as Chef De Cuisine at Trois Mec, where he met his wife, Leina. He has since come back to Nashville, to work with Strategic Hospitality as chef of their French concept, Le Sel, then as part of the team of chefs at Bastion.
Leina Lea grew up in a California restaurant family and opted for hospitality over a pre-med degree from NYU. She managed front of house at NYC's Ace and Thompson Hotels before shifting to cooking in California, including stints at Red Medicine and Petit Trois. In Nashville, she served as The Catbird Seat's sous chef before joining her husband at Bastion.
In March 2023, they opened Kisser in partnership with Strategic Hospitality. Kisser is their first restaurant.
Brian Baxter, Executive Chef, The Catbird Seat
Brian Baxter, a Florida-born chef, is the executive chef of The Catbird Seat in Nashville, TN. As the fifth iteration chef at the renowned culinary incubator, Chef Brian Baxter emphasizes seasonally-sourced ingredients.
A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Baxter got his start with Chef Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina. Later launching Husk Nashville as Chef de Cuisine, he was honored with recognition on Forbes' 30 Under 30 and OpenTable's list of 5 Southern Chefs to Watch in 2016.
He joined Nashville's Bastion team in 2017 under Chef Josh Habiger. In 2019, he ventured to Atlanta to work as Chef de Cuisine with Kevin Gillespie at Cold Beer. Baxter returned to Nashville to take the helm at The Catbird Seat in June 2020, bringing with him a rich culinary background and a strong commitment to local sourcing.
Outside of the kitchen, Baxter has an interest in watercolor painting, blending his newfound artistic passion with his culinary craft at The Catbird Seat.
Will Uhlhorn, Executive Chef, Merchants
Will Uhlhorn began his culinary career at City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., where he worked as sous chef between classes at Ole Miss. After college, he pursued his newfound passion and attended the Culinary Institute of America.
After holding positions as a line cook, sushi chef and chef de cuisine at a variety of restaurants, Will moved to Nashville where he served as chef at F. Scott’s and Miel, later helping to open Table 3 Restaurant & Market. He moved on from there to 360 Bistro where he featured a consistently rotating menu driven by seasonality and locally grown ingredients, earning him recognition as Critic’s Choice Best Chef Nashville from the Nashville Scene.
Will Uhlhorn joined Strategic Hospitality in 2019 as the executive chef of Pinewood Social, later moving on as the Executive Chef of Merchants restaurant in 2022.
Our Culinary Team
Who We Are
Strategic Hospitality is a Nashville-based hospitality company founded in 2006 by brothers Benjamin and Max Goldberg. The company has since created various concepts that have contributed to the fabric of the city’s dining culture. Benjamin and Max, who were raised in Nashville, are deeply committed to supporting the local community and upholding the kindness for which the city is known. In August 2023, Chef Josh Habiger joined Benjamin and Max Goldberg as partner, further enriching the company’s expertise in hospitality.
To date, the portfolio includes Merchants, The Patterson House, The Catbird Seat, The Band Box, The Country Club at The Band Box, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Locust, Kisser, and newly opened in the Nashville International Airport, The Titans Press Box, Kitty Hawk Eat + Drink, and Voodoo Doughnut. The Goldberg brothers’ nomination for the 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020 James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Restaurateur attests to their entrepreneurial drive, innovative ideas, and focus on exceptional customer service within each of their establishments.
Our Culinary Team
Julia Sullivan, Chef + Co-Owner, Henrietta Red
Julia was born and raised in Nashville and attended Tulane University and The Culinary Institute of America. From there, Julia moved to New York and spent time in the kitchens of Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Per Se, and Franny’s before moving home to open Henrietta Red.
Since opening in 2017, Henrietta Red was named one of America’s 50 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appetit in 2017, one of GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America 2018, and was recognized as a 2018 James Beard Foundation Award semifinalist in the Best New Restaurant category. Additionally, Julia was named one of the Best Young Chefs in America by Robb Report, one of the Best New Chefs in 2018 by Food & Wine, and recognized as a 2019 semifinalist and a 2020 finalist in the JBFA Best Chef: Southeast category.
Trevor Moran, Chef + Co-Owner, Locust
In January 2014, Trevor Moran debuted as the executive chef of The Catbird Seat, a renowned tasting room in the Midtown neighborhood of Nashville, TN. After nearly leaving Nashville in December 2015, Moran's bond with the city persisted, leading to his role as Culinary Consultant for Strategic Hospitality in 2016.
By October 2020, Moran and Strategic Hospitality launched Locust in Nashville's 12South neighborhood. Initially focused on seafood, dumplings, and shaved ice, the restaurant now emphasizes Moran's Irish heritage and his expertise from global top-tier kitchens. As of 2023, Locust champions modern Irish and British cuisine, spotlighting seafood and intricate sauce work.
Locust was honored as Food & Wine Magazine's 2022 Restaurant of the Year and featured in The New York Times' 2022 Restaurant List. In 2023, Moran was nominated as a semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast by the James Beard Foundation.
Josh Habiger, Chef + Co-Owner, Bastion | Partner, Strategic Hospitality
Josh Habiger started his 14-year journey with Strategic Hospitality in 2009, when he played a pivotal role in the opening of The Patterson House. In 2011, he co-founded and was the opening co-chef of The Catbird Seat, gaining national acclaim as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2012 and an All-Star in 2013. Under his tutelage, The Catbird Seat was recognized as one of Bon Appétit’s The Hot 10: Best New Restaurants in America and GQ’s The Ten Best New Restaurants in America.
Moving on to serve as Culinary Director, Habiger crafted Pinewood Social's initial menu, achieving a James Beard Best New Restaurant nomination. In 2016, he opened Bastion, which gained recognition as a Best New Restaurant from Southern Living, EATER, and the James Beard Foundation.
Habiger has been honored as a James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast from 2018 to 2020 and became a finalist in the category in 2023. Currently a partner in Strategic Hospitality, Habiger continues to serve as chef / co-owner at Bastion while also contributing to Strategic Hospitality’s wider initiatives.
Brian Lea and Leina Horii, Chefs + Co-Owners, Kisser
Brian Lea, a California native, honed his skills under chefs like Charlie Palmer and Jose Andres before becoming sous chef at Husk Nashville. He later moved to LA where he served as Chef De Cuisine at Trois Mec, where he met his wife, Leina. He has since come back to Nashville, to work with Strategic Hospitality as chef of their French concept, Le Sel, then as part of the team of chefs at Bastion.
Leina Lea grew up in a California restaurant family and opted for hospitality over a pre-med degree from NYU. She managed front of house at NYC's Ace and Thompson Hotels before shifting to cooking in California, including stints at Red Medicine and Petit Trois. In Nashville, she served as The Catbird Seat's sous chef before joining her husband at Bastion.
In March 2023, they opened Kisser in partnership with Strategic Hospitality. Kisser is their first restaurant.
Brian Baxter, Executive Chef, The Catbird Seat
Brian Baxter, a Florida-born chef, is the executive chef of The Catbird Seat in Nashville, TN. As the fifth iteration chef at the renowned culinary incubator, Chef Brian Baxter emphasizes seasonally-sourced ingredients.
A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Baxter got his start with Chef Sean Brock at McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina. Later launching Husk Nashville as Chef de Cuisine, he was honored with recognition on Forbes' 30 Under 30 and OpenTable's list of 5 Southern Chefs to Watch in 2016.
He joined Nashville's Bastion team in 2017 under Chef Josh Habiger. In 2019, he ventured to Atlanta to work as Chef de Cuisine with Kevin Gillespie at Cold Beer. Baxter returned to Nashville to take the helm at The Catbird Seat in June 2020, bringing with him a rich culinary background and a strong commitment to local sourcing.
Outside of the kitchen, Baxter has an interest in watercolor painting, blending his newfound artistic passion with his culinary craft at The Catbird Seat.
Will Uhlhorn, Executive Chef, Merchants
Will Uhlhorn began his culinary career at City Grocery in Oxford, Miss., where he worked as sous chef between classes at Ole Miss. After college, he pursued his newfound passion and attended the Culinary Institute of America.
After holding positions as a line cook, sushi chef and chef de cuisine at a variety of restaurants, Will moved to Nashville where he served as chef at F. Scott’s and Miel, later helping to open Table 3 Restaurant & Market. He moved on from there to 360 Bistro where he featured a consistently rotating menu driven by seasonality and locally grown ingredients, earning him recognition as Critic’s Choice Best Chef Nashville from the Nashville Scene.
Will Uhlhorn joined Strategic Hospitality in 2019 as the executive chef of Pinewood Social, later moving on as the Executive Chef of Merchants restaurant in 2022.