Business phone system for drinking places in Tennessee

The bar industry in Tennessee

Tennessee had 384 drinking places in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns (NAICS 722410, Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages)). They employed 6,393 people in mid-March and reported $233.9 million in annual payroll. That is the 28th highest count among the 51 states and DC with published figures. Drinking places make up 0.26% of the 150,129 business establishments in the state.

Per 100,000 residents (2024 estimate) Tennessee has 5.3 drinking places, 55.7% below the national rate of 12.0. The average establishment has 16.6 employees against 10.6 nationally. Payroll per employee is $36,580, 42.8% above the U.S. figure of $25,612.

Tennessee's largest markets for drinking places

Census published bar counts for 11 metro or micropolitan areas that include part of Tennessee. The largest is Nashville, TN, with 181 establishments. Single-state metro and micropolitan areas account for 71% of the statewide total; the rest are outside any published area or in areas Census suppressed.

Team sizes at drinking places in Tennessee

30.5% of Tennessee's drinking places with employees had fewer than five people in March 2023, compared with 38.7% nationally. 54.9% had fewer than ten. At that size the phone is shared, so routing (who rings, when, and what happens after hours) matters more than the number of desk phones.

Why the phone matters for drinking places in Tennessee

Bars and taverns take calls about events, private parties and hours, often when the room is too loud to hear the phone. Capturing those calls helps book parties.

Typical inbound and outbound calls for drinking places in Tennessee:

• A customer calls about trivia night.
• The bar calls a vendor about a delivery.
• A band calls about booking a gig.

Texting guests

Bars text event reminders and party confirmations.

Texting from a local number in Tennessee requires carrier registration (10DLC), a one-time $49 fee on Callata.

Phone system pricing for a 17-person bar

Drinking places in Tennessee average 16.6 employees, so the comparison uses a 17-person team. On a per-user plan that headcount sets the bill: $424.15 a month on Ooma Office Pro or $510.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core at list price (checked September 28, 2026). Callata comes to $339.00 a month for 17 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Over a year, that is $2,052 less than RingCentral for a bar in Tennessee of that size. Annual contracts lower some competitors' prices, so compare the plan you would actually sign.

Area codes in Tennessee

Tennessee has 8 geographic area codes in service according to NANPA. Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a bar can hold a number in more than one of them.

How Callata works for drinking places in Tennessee

Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Tennessee is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.