The Lost Highway

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CONFIDENTIAL - EXECUTIVE DEAL MEMO

THE LOST HIGHWAY

Nashville's First Immersive Outlaw Country Experience

$6.5M Equity Round • $14.5M Post-Money Valuation

February 2026 • Brian Kaplan • Tim McGraw • Scott Siman

Investment Thesis

The Lost Highway is Nashville's only outlaw country bar, open 7 nights a week at 209 Printers Alley. Inside it, The Last Ballad runs Wednesday through Sunday - a 2.5-hour immersive ghost show where 40 guests enter what they think is a bar, then discover they're inside a haunted story about Hank Williams' unfinished song. The bar IS the set. You don't know you're in a show until it's too late.

Nashville attracts 16.9 million visitors spending $11.2 billion annually. It is the #1 bachelorette destination in America (13,000+ trips/year). There are zero immersive entertainment venues in the city. Sleep No More closed January 2025 after 14 years and $36M/yr peak revenue. The throne is empty. This is a six-story haunted building with a speakeasy hidden in the Prohibition tunnels, overnight suites where the show doesn't end, and a bar where the singer changes lyrics mid-song and a dead man sits in the same seat every night. This is the only concept purpose-built to claim it.

Deal Terms

$6.5M
Equity Raise
$14.5M
Post-Money Valuation
45%
Investor Ownership
Pre-Money Valuation$8,000,000
Investor Ownership45%
Preferred Return10% annual, cumulative simple (non-compounding)
Liquidation Preference1x
Pro-Rata RightsYes
Board SeatBoard Seat
Profit Split55% founders / 45% investors
ReportingQuarterly financials
EntityLLC (Tennessee)

Milestone Funding: $3.5M at close, $3.0M released upon: (a) signed lease, (b) operations partner hired, (c) at least one estate license in binding LOI.

Use of Funds

CategoryAmount% of Raise
Build-Out & Construction$2,800,00043%
Technology & Immersive Systems$1,200,00018%
Working Capital$1,000,00015%
Contingency$600,0009%
Equipment & FF&E$400,0006%
Marketing & Launch$500,0008%
Total$6,500,000100%

Annual Cost Structure (Key Line Items)

ItemAnnual Cost
Insurance (Liquor, GL, Umbrella, Immersive)$165,000
Estate Licensing$100,000/year
CC Processing (2.5%)$191,000
Property Tax (NNN pass-through)$65,000

Financial Summary

Year 1 (Partial)Year 2Year 3Year 5
Revenue$3.0M$7.6M$9.2M$11.5M
EBITDA($200K)$865K$1.8M$3.2M
EBITDA Margin - 11%20%28%

17 Revenue Streams. No single stream exceeds 26%. Daily bar F&B ($2.01M/yr), immersive show tickets ($1.86M), bachelorette packages ($250K), merch ($200K), corporate/private events ($250K), vinyl program ($100K), plus weekend matinees ($600K), late-night experiences ($380K), The Speakeasy & Haunted Hotel ($625K), Lost Highway Spirits ($150K), and 7 more.

Downside Protection. Even without the show, the daily outlaw bar generates $2M+ in F&B revenue, absorbing the majority of fixed costs. The venue operates as a going concern even without show revenue. Breakeven requires just 65% show occupancy, well below the 80% base case.

Show Operations. 528 total shows/year: 240 evening (Wed-Sun), 96 matinees (Sat-Sun), 192 late night (Wed-Sat). Evening: 80 guests, $121 avg ticket. Matinees: 80 guests, $95 avg. Late Night: 30 guests, $70 avg. Bar revenue: $5,500/day ($2.01M/yr).

Profit Distribution. 55% founders / 45% investors after 10% cumulative preferred return and 1x liquidation preference. Preferred accrues in pre-profit years and is settled from distributions or at exit.

Return Profile

2.5-3.0x
MOIC (Single Venue)
20-25%
IRR
Year 4
Exit Payback

Exit comparables: Ryman Hospitality trades at 14.2x EBITDA ($6.47B market cap). Meow Wolf valued at $500M+ (4 locations). Year 5 EBITDA of $3.2M at 10x = $32M enterprise value. Through the distribution waterfall (cumulative preferred + return of capital + 45% profit share), investors receive $19.8M on $6.5M invested = 3.0x MOIC. The seasonal IP refresh model (new stories, new characters, new reasons to return) compounds audience value without additional capital. Expansion to additional cities represents further upside not included in base case returns.

The Venue: 209 Printers Alley

Address209 Printers Alley, Nashville
Built1888 • 6-Story Masonry
Ground Floor4,000 SF • Turn-Key Bar
Floor 2~5,000 SF • 4 Immersive Rooms
Floor 3Back-of-House • Tech Control
Floor 4The Speakeasy • Hidden 30-Seat Cocktail Bar
Floors 5-6The Haunted Hotel • 4 Immersive Overnight Suites
InfrastructureKone Elevator • 1,600A Electrical • ADA
LeaseFull Building NNN + Option to Buy @ $60/SF blended

Why this building: Boots Randolph ran his legendary club here. Prohibition tunnels confirmed. Documented hauntings on file. The upper floors have been vacant since the 1950s. Broadway is one block away but Printer's Alley lease rates are 40-60% lower ($80/SF vs $120-200/SF on Broadway). The option to buy converts rent into equity as Nashville real estate appreciates.

Founding Team

Brian Kaplan

Founder / Creator. Wrote the show bible. Built the brand. Developed the full creative IP pre-raise. Entertainment, tech, and storytelling background.

Tim McGraw

Founder. 90M+ records sold. 3x Grammy winner. Actor (Friday Night Lights, 1883). Nashville royalty. Not a spokesperson - a committed founding partner.

Scott Siman

Founder. President of EM.co. 30+ years managing Nashville's biggest careers. Direct relationships with every artist estate involved. Every door is open.

Competitive Moat

Estate Licensing Moat

Exclusive right-of-publicity licenses from Williams, Jennings, and Cline estates under Tennessee's Personal Rights Protection Act. Direct relationship with Sandbox Succession (Jason Owen), which manages Williams, Cline, Cash, Lynn, and Orbison estates. Jennings estate via WME Legends. Once locked, no competitor can tell these stories.

Real Historic Building

You can't replicate an 1888 building with Prohibition tunnels and documented hauntings. The building is a character in the show. It feels haunted because it is.

Key Risks & Mitigants

RiskMitigant
Execution complexityFull show bible complete pre-raise. Tim McGraw media pull for launch. Proven immersive theater playbook.
Construction cost overruns$600K contingency (9%). 2017-2022 ADA renovation reduces unknowns. Phased build approach.
Consumer demand uncertaintyBar generates $2M+ standalone F&B revenue. Show revenue is upside. Nashville tourism at all-time highs.
Estate licensing failureTim McGraw + Scott Siman have direct estate relationships. Characters can be fictionalized as fallback.
Trademark conflict ("Lost Highway")"The Lost Highway" is a working title. Trademark pursuit underway. The core IP is The Last Ballad (the show). The bar name is flexible and can be adapted without affecting the brand, story, or economics.

Next Steps

1

Partner Meeting
with Brian Kaplan + Tim McGraw's team

2

Venue Walk-Through
209 Printers Alley, Nashville

3

Data Room Access
+ Term Sheet

CONFIDENTIAL - THE LOST HIGHWAY / THE LAST BALLAD
Brian Kaplan • Tim McGraw • Scott Siman
209 Printers Alley • Nashville, Tennessee