Victorian meets Mediterranean coast at new cocktail bar in downtown Macon
A woman who has worked in the service industry for more than half of her life recently parted ways with a downtown Macon bar to open the first venue of her own just a few doors down.
Heather Owens co-owned The Rose Room at 278 Second St. until November, and has managed other bars across the country. She is now the sole owner of House Cocktails, expected to be an intimate, upscale cocktail bar that will specialize in classic craft drinks at 368 Second St.
“The vibe itself is definitely going to be like that stucco, Victorian, blue ocean, blue arches vibe... like a year on the Mediterranean coast with a glass of wine,” the 38-year-old said.
She said her relationship with The Rose Room is cordial, and having another craft cocktail bar in proximity will boost both businesses.
“They’re running their business, and I’m gonna run mine,” Owens said. “I think rising tides raise all ships. More business in downtown Macon is good for everybody.”
She felt inspired by the individuality of small businesses in Boulder, Colorado, where she previously managed The Bitter Bar — “the marriage of a speakeasy and the true definition of a neighborhood bar,” its website says.
“There was just so many … different places that didn’t look similar to one another or offer the same experiences,” Owens said. “The thing that I like the best is, honestly, when people (say), ‘Oh my gosh, this feels like … something I’d see in a big city,’ because Macon is growing into a bigger city, and I think that we could use more things that feel like that.”
Locals who’ve walked along Second Street may recognize the black and white wall tiles outside the front door. They will remain untouched.
Owens said she plans to install seating nooks in the storefront’s inset windows “so you can actually sit in the window.”
The venue seats around 25 to 30 people, as well as some standing room. She said it will be smaller than The Rose Room, and larger than Quill, The Woodward Hotel’s bar, which is also a few doors down.
“It feels like you’re coming out to vacation, like a staycation in your own city,” Owens said. “Instead of feeling like you have to go to Atlanta to get this experience, I want you to have options in Macon that give you that same city experience.”
The atmosphere will evolve as customers make it their own, said Owens, a North Carolina native and Macon resident since 2022.
“I think that’s like, one of the best parts of hospitality is you can set the mood based on the energy, the lighting and the conversations that you’re having with people,” Owens said. “Start slow in the beginning and build up as the night gets later.”
Its hours of operation are also largely dependent on, well, vibes.
“I love the idea of like, staying open for people if they’re in there hanging out, but I also don’t like the idea of making my bartenders stay until midnight or 1 (a.m.) if there’s no one in there at 10:45 (p.m.),” Owens said.
The aesthetic is in the name.
“I named it House because I want it to feel like home,” Owens told The Telegraph.
House Cocktails will often play — you guessed it — house music, a subgenre of electronic dance music that derives from disco and funk with hypnotic bass grooves.
“I wanted to have that like, adult-friendly vibe, where you’re like, ‘OK, cool. I can come here and get a drink before I go to dinner, and then I can come here after dinner and get an espresso martini and still feel good, and the vibe’s like, elevated,’” Owens said.
The bar will offer a seasonal rotating menu of alcoholic, non-alcoholic and THC-based drinks.
House Cocktails is expected to open in late April or early May. Owens hopes it will serve as a safe and inclusive space for all.
“It’s just hard right now to live in life and feel comfortable,” Owens said. “I feel like there’s a lot going on that’s like, sad and downtrodden, hard to see. So I think part of having the bar is that it gives people a place to go spend quality time with people they care about.”
