the speakeasy-style experience, with its velvet curtains and waitlists, and move toward creating more approachable environments focused on fun. You could still order a craft cocktail from the menu, but you could also order a shot (with a creative name and fruit chaser) and beer. “I shouldn’t have all this,” says Alexis, describing how she dropped out of high school and skipped college. But plenty of people in Nashville would disagree. She’s worked hard alongside her sister, transforming unlikely and sometimes forgotten spaces into some of the city’s most vibrant and innovative bars. Matt Buttel of Nashville Bar Alliance (formerly Nashville Ice Lab) works with cocktail-related clients to provide scratch ingredients, ice, menu design, and development. He says the Solers created places that people seek out when they come to Nashville. They opened 308, for example, beyond the Five Points area of East Nashville. “It was a big deal that they took a chance.” He also says 308 was one of the early
bars in Nashville to combine craftsmanship with volume, and all the while, Alexis and Britt have been intentional about spending a lot of time at their bars. “They’re actually involved in making sure clients have a great time—providing real hospitality.” Looking at the siblings these days, it’s surprising to learn a time existed when they weren’t close. Both sisters describe
The sisters have a knack for taking inspiration from the history of a place and adding their own style. themselves as “feelers” and have more introverted tendencies than you might expect for people who work so closely with the public. Days off, which might happen CONTINUED ON PAGE 72
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