Tapas, lofts, beer garden and more: All the new development coming to downtown Macon
Some of downtown’s charming but long-vacant century-old buildings are being renovated at a steady pace, drawing new businesses, events and more people to the heart of town.
“Just since 2015, 74 net new businesses have opened downtown,” Josh Rogers, president and chief executive officer of downtown booster agency NewTown Macon said. “These locally-owned, family-operated businesses are what makes downtown Macon unique in the region for dining, shopping and entertainment. You can feel the energy on the streets as downtown surges back to life.”
Z Beans Coffee, which opened in Mercer Village last August, is among the newest businesses to open up shop downtown. The grand opening of its second location at 311 Cotton Ave. was celebrated last week.
“Opening this store was important for us taking that step outside the Mercer community,” Shane Buerster, founder of Z Beans, said. “An opportunity opened up to be closer to the business district here downtown, and it was an opportunity we just didn’t think we could pass on.”
Kudzu Seafood Co. is set to move in coming months from its Third Street location to Poplar Street. The restaurant is owned and operated by Macon native Kelley Wrigley and her husband, Lee Clack. The new location will have a rooftop bar, the first of its kind downtown.
Other businesses set to open downtown this year include:
Lazy Susan’s
What: A mid-century modern lounge and tapas bar
Where: 428 Second Street
When: Opening September 2019
The restaurant with no TVs will play music on vinyl. Its decor and cocktails will nod to the 1950s-1970s era. Dishes on its menu will include charcuterie plates, chocolate and cheese fondues and other menu items described as a “Southern twist on classic Spanish tapas,” said Ryan Smith, who co-owns the restaurant with Stewart Vernon, Ryan Griffin and Brian Adams.
“Instead of doing meatballs, which is a very Spanish thing to have on a tapas menu, we’re going to be doing sausage balls with pepper jelly,” Smith said.
Of course, every table will have a Lazy Susan, because the restaurant service will be “built around sharing and spending time with friends,” Smith said.
Tapas will cost between $10-12, and cocktails and wine will cost $8-12, Smith said.
The restaurant, which will focus heavily on presentation, is set to open for business Wednesday-Saturday from 5-11:30 p.m.
Cashman’s Pub
What: Pub and full restaurant
Where: 307 Cherry St.
When: April 2019
Cashman’s Pub will offer a wide variety of dishes on its ever-changing lunch and dinner menus.
“What we’re doing is each day trying to have something different,” said Ron Whidby, who co-owns the restaurant with Jeremy Cash. “It’s a lot easier to keep things not going bad is to change up the menu periodically throughout the day and specialize in something each day.”
The restaurant is set to open later this month after it acquires its liquor licenses. Whidby said he is looking to hire up to 10 people. Hours will likely be 11 a.m.-11 p.m. at least six days a week.
Macon Beer Co. Taproom
What: Beer garden, restaurant, event space and lofts
Where: 458 Second St.
When: Opening in Summer 2019
Macon Beer Co. plans to open 19 lofts, an event space, a bar-food restaurant and a beer garden under the same roof on Second Street. The company will still make beer and give tours of its brewery on Oglethorpe Street, owner Yash Patel said.
The food will be “bar food made with simple, high quality ingredients,” Patel said, adding that some of the beer served will be pilot tests.
“We will have the outdoor beer garden open as well, where there’s going to be grass, we’re going to have some music from time-to-time. We’ll also have yard games,” Patel said. “We will be family and pet-friendly out back and family-friendly inside.”
The two-story building will be open seven days a week and has enough space to accommodate 200 people.
The lofts that will become available for rent are studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences, will be rented for $1,100-$1,400.
Telegraph writer Jenna Eason contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 3, 2019 at 1:00 AM with the headline "Tapas, lofts, beer garden and more: All the new development coming to downtown Macon."