Success of holiday-themed bar prompts a new, permanent spot in downtown Macon

The success of a holiday-themed Christmas pop-up bar in Macon has caused the operators behind it to set up a permanent, year-round location

The team behind Macon Drinks and Blitzen, last year’s holiday pop-up bar, is bringing Switch Macon to downtown.

The bar on First Street is officially opening on Nov. 19, with the return of Blitzen, which was the bar’s Christmas theme last year. That theme will remain until the beginning of the year, and it will end with an all-inclusive New Year’s celebration.

With each season and theme, Switch plans to offer a full signature menu, an immersive atmosphere, and themed events.

This season, the best sellers from last year’s pop-up will return, including the Gingerbread Espresso Martini and Cousin Eddie’s Eggnog. New additions are also coming to the menu, including the Heat Miser spicy paloma and the Mistletoe Margarita.

Switch’s owners, Jordan Kirksey and Chasen Smith shared that after such a positive response last year, they were motivated to return year-round.

“Last year was a huge success, and we realized that was really something that Macon needed,” Kirksey said. “We realized that we tapped into a niche demographic and clientele, that we felt like maybe all the other bars don’t necessarily cater to.”

Throughout the year, Switch will feature five different themes, including Blitzen, Galentine’s Valentines, Cherry Blossom and Chick Flicks, a ‘90s summer, and a Halloween theme.

Each theme will vary in decor, menu, and duration, most lasting around two months. Smith described the sentiment in the rotating theme bar, saying, “we just want to make everybody’s experience perfect when they come in here, to be able to come back and not feel the same every time they come back.”

Switch also features regular events and is currently booking for this season. This season’s events include paint and sips, a cookie competition, a wine mixer, and drag performances.

Similar to last year’s pop-up, they operate primarily on reservations but are also welcome to walk-ins.

“We strongly recommend getting reservations because people know that this bar is a hot commodity and they are booking it like crazy.” said Kirksey.

Their grand opening has already fully booked, the owners said.