Music Venue Owners Share Their Gratitude And Their Worries With SBA Leader

The leader of the U.S. Small Business Administration visited Nashville on Monday to speak with businesses that are still feeling the impact of the pandemic. The visit is part of a national tour by SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.

In Nashville, Guzman stopped by Rudy’s Jazz Room south of downtown. Crammed inside the small, intimate space, the owners thanked her for the relief they’ve received.

She said that music venues are vital, and not just for the economy.

“You need your cultural institutions and your cultural businesses to make sure there’s an environment that people want to live in,” she said.

Co-owner Adam Charney nodded in agreement. He said without funds from the SBA, the venue would not have survived.

“That money has meant everything to us, and it continues to mean everything to us,” he says. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

Rudy’s is one of several Nashville businesses that got funding through the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. But it still faces challenges — they aren’t filling it to capacity and they’ve had staffing issues, yet the cost of operating the venue has continued to rise.

Guzman says the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant has given out billions so far, and there was still money left to offer a supplemental grant. Rudy’s Jazz Room and other Nashville businesses are anxiously awaiting that additional funding.