Matty Izaguirre
Coral Club | Nashville TN
July 2026
Although he had worked as a dishwasher and busboy down in the Florida Keys, Matty Izaguirre didn't have much bartending experience when he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2009. But armed with a strong work ethic and a desire to learn, Izaguirre landed a job at No. 308 Bar, one of the first craft cocktail bars in East Nashville. Over the next five years, he worked his way up from dishwasher to server to barback before eventually becoming a bartender. Training under Bartenders Alexis Soler and Ben Clemons, Izaguirre learned the basics of the craft, developed speed behind the stick, and cultivated a passion for hospitality and service.
In 2014, Izaguirre moved to Orlando, Florida, where he joined the team at Hanson's Shoe Repair. Not long after, however, he returned to Nashville to open Urban Cowboy Public House alongside Bartender Brice Hoffman. Izaguirre and Hoffman spent the next five years overseeing the bar's cocktail program and managing the team. After the pandemic hit, Izaguirre left to join the team at Attaboy, relishing the opportunity to work his way through their classic cocktail training program before becoming a full-time bartender. There, he embraced the constraints, refining his technique and immersing himself in the history of cocktails.
After four years at Attaboy, Izaguirre left to start a bar of his own. Along with Hoffman, Kristopher Esqueda, and his brother, Aaron Izaguirre, he opened Coral Club in 2024. Although the bar is tucked away on the second floor of a strip mall in East Nashville, the moody, beachy interior transports guests to far away places. Behind the bar, though, Izaguirre and his tight-knit team prioritize affordability, approachability, and quality above all else through cocktails like the Campo Lopez with tequila, red bitter aperitivo, tamarind syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice, and Hellfire bitters. Open seven days a week, he is committed to creating a space that is comfortable and welcoming to all who walk through the door.
