Carey Hart opens tattoo shop in downtown Nashville

Add motocross superstar Carey Hart to the list of celebrities bringing business ventures to the hub of Nashville’s booming tourist sector.

Hart’s tattoo company, Hart & Huntington, will host a grand opening on Saturday, Dec. 3 for its expansive tattoo shop at 137 2nd Ave. N. #201. Hart co-owns the Nashville location with Chris Turck.

“I’ve always been a super big fan of Nashville and with so much growth happening down here, it seemed like a natural fit,” said Hart, who’s married to pop megastar Pink.

Hart’s fascination with tattoos dates back to second grade, when he would draw on his arms during school and then get in trouble at home. He got his first tattoo the day he turned 18 years old. Today, most of his body is tattooed with the exception of his left leg.

“My wife, for whatever reason, made me promise I wouldn’t tattoo my left leg,” Hart said, laughing.

Hart & Huntington was thrust into the national spotlight on A&E’s reality series “Inked”, which chronicled Hart and the tattoo artists at the company’s first location, which opened in Las Vegas in 2004. Hart said the show was both good and bad for the brand — it drove traffic and exposure, but it was time consuming and pulled Hart’s focus away from growing the company.

At 3,750 square feet, the Nashville tattoo shop is larger than Hart & Huntington’s three other locations. It has eight tattoo stations, retail merchandise, a consultation area and a client lounge. Hart described it as more relaxed than the shops in Vegas, Orlando and Niagara Falls, Ontario.

“With the vibe here in Nashville, the history and heritage, this place is much more inviting and relaxing. It’s not the high intensity that some of the other places are,” Hart said, adding that renovations to the 1860s building preserved the original brick and wood columns.

Hart said his hope for the shop is to draw locals and tourists alike, including people who are getting tattooed for the first time.

“It’s exciting to see how tattooing has grown so much in the last 15 years I’ve been involved with it, but I think the No. 1 thing that sets us apart is we want the experience to be amazing,” Hart said.

Hart’s mum on plans for future Hart & Huntington locations but he said the company is focused on growing organically and finding the best tattoo artists to staff their shops.

“We really pride ourselves on amazing tattoos and secondly, great vibe and great customer service and just a good experience,” Hart said.

Hart & Huntington will host two public grand opening celebrations on Saturday, Dec. 3, including a meet and greet from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the tattoo shop with Hart and X Games gold medalist Mike Mason, and an after party starting at 8 p.m. on the roof of the nearby Hard Rock Cafe.

Hart joins a growing number of Other celebrities drawn to Nashville's Lower Broadway area are.Musicians Dierks Bentley, Alan Jackson and John Rich are among other celebrities that are all bringing honky tonks to the popular tourist destination. 

Reach Lizzy Alfs at 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.