NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 29, 2026--
VOCE Hotel & Residences today unveiled its signature rooftop restaurant, IKIGAI, which will be a new and original concept. Named for the Japanese philosophy of “the joy of living,” IKIGAI will celebrate the art of exceptional sushi, the warmth of the grill, and the privilege of bringing people together—inviting guests to find meaning and pleasure in every course.
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VOCE Hotel & Residences, the mixed-use development rising in Midtown Nashville. Designed by ID & Design International (IDDI), the 25th-level, 6,200 sq ft space is positioned as an experiential dining destination offering panoramic views of the Nashville skyline for 145 seated guests.
The restaurant and lounge sit adjacent to the resort-style rooftop pool with private cabanas and F&B service. IKIGAI will be open for public reservations while also being a defining amenity for residents, hotel guests, and members of the VOCE Collective. The venue will deliver fine dining and lounge experiences in a setting that emphasizes both refined design and elevated hospitality. IDDI, which is responsible for the common areas and 45,000 sq ft of indoor/outdoor amenity spaces throughout the project, has applied its expertise in hospitality environments to create a multi-sensory destination that complements the broader lifestyle offering at VOCE.
“The rooftop restaurant will be one of the most distinctive features of the VOCE experience,” said Mack McClung, Founder of VOCE and CEO of Vastland Company. “IDDI has designed a spectacular space that perfectly captures our team’s vision and the vibrant energy of Nashville. By placing operations under the direct care of our own VOCE Hospitality and Management Company, we are ensuring that both the culinary program and the service deliver the exact level of luxury and sophistication our owners and guests expect.”
Residence sales at VOCE Hotel & Residences are led by Principal Broker and Sales & Marketing Director, Christy Frewin.
VOCE integrates private residences with full-service hotel hospitality, giving owners the option to live in their home, use it as a second home, or a turnkey residence designed and furnished by RH (Restoration Hardware), complete with the option to participate in a fully managed hospitality program. The rooftop restaurant is part of a broader collection of curated amenities that support this optional flexible ownership model.
For more information or to schedule a private presentation, visit vocehotelandresidences.com.
IKIGAI bar on the 25th floor of VOCE Hotel & Residences.
Entrance to IKIGAI
IKIGAI dining room at VOCE Hotel & Residences.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who played a major role in defrauding a federal food program in Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, the latest punishment in a sprawling scheme to collect millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming to have fed needy children.
The depth of fraud in Minnesota — dozens of people have been convicted — has repeatedly drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who ridiculed the Democratic governor for failing to stop it and partly cited it as grounds for an extraordinary immigration crackdown in the state's largest cities.
Salim Said operated Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis, which specialized in dishes from Somalia. He was accused of vastly overstating the number of meals when seeking payment for providing food. The government said he was responsible for $44 million in fraud, some of which was committed by others he recruited.
“You took more than taxpayers' dollars to enrich yourself. You took the reputation of our state down with you,” U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel said.
Said was claiming a “ridiculous daily distribution of 6,000 meals” while FBI cameras showed 40 people a day collecting food, prosecutors said in a court filing.
“The defendant and his sites did not serve thousands of children; he served a calculated, lucrative lie,” prosecutors said.
Said, a native of Somalia, denied the allegations while testifying at the trial in 2025, saying many meals were delivered off site. But at his sentencing Wednesday, he changed course and expressed remorse. Defense attorney Barry Zone, who had asked for a 12-year prison sentence, disputed that Said was the “architect” as the government alleged.
COVID-19 brought changes to a federal program that typically fed children through schools. Restaurants could participate, and food distribution was extended to places outside schools.
“For 21 consecutive months, Said made thousands of fraudulent reimbursement claims, day after day, month after month,” prosecutors said. “Each submission represented meals purportedly provided to underprivileged children, yet the listed children themselves were entirely fictitious.”
The government said Said hit the jackpot: He bought a $1.2 million home, commercial real estate and an $87,000 pickup truck.
Said was convicted of a raft of charges in 2025, along with Aimee Bock, the leader of a Minnesota nonprofit, Feeding Our Future. She is serving a 42-year prison sentence for devising the overall plan to recruit Said and others to join the federal food program during the pandemic. A judge ordered her to repay $242 million.
State auditors found that the Minnesota Department of Education received numerous complaints about Feeding Our Future, but often told the group to police itself. In January, Gov. Tim Walz said he would not run for reelection after being pounded by Trump about theft in programs that rely on federal cash.
Attorney Barry Zone, right, and supporters of Salim Said, who was found guilty in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, leave after Said's sentencing hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
Supporters of Salim Said, who was found guilty in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, leave after Said's sentencing hearing, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)
