MACON, Ga. — The Downtown Macon French Fry Fight is gearing up for its third annual contest. The participating restaurants will serve up their best and most creative fry specials, priced between $10-20, all day long.
According to NewTown Macon, they started the event in 2022 in an effort to increase the number of people who come out to downtown in what is otherwise a slower part of the season for local businesses.
The list of businesses participating in the contest are Bearfoot Tavern, Biddy’s, Cashman’s Pub, Daiquiris & More, Fall Line Brewing Co., Felicia’s Cake Factory, H&H, Just Tap’d Kinjo Kitchen + Cocktails, Kudzu Seafood Company, La Bella Morelia, Loom at Hotel Forty Five, Macon Water Ice, Ocmulgee Brewpub, Oliver’s Corner Bistro, Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen, Rookery, Satterfield’s, Sweet Eleanor’s, and The Brick.
“The French Fry Fight is such a fun way to try all the cool restaurants downtown,” said Trish Whitley, Director of Destination Development at Visit Macon and Chair of the Main Street Macon board. “I love seeing folks go from spot to spot, trying their favorites and exploring new places too.”
Scott Mitchell, who owns Sweet Eleanor's on Poplar Street, has been in the retail business before but never on the food side until now. The local coffee and dessert shop said they are participating in the fry fight but with their own sweet spin on the event. Instead of the traditional french fries, they will have funnel cake fries with raspberry sauce.
"They are always looking for different ways to activate downtown," Mitchell said. "We all decided that July is a pretty slow month, and right in the middle of it is National French Fry Day, so we seized that opportunity and marketed downtown as a french fry fight."
NewTown's Main Street Macon regularly organizes collaborative events to generate excitement in the community and encourage supporting locally owned and operated businesses. They say the French Fry Fight offers restaurants an opportunity to take a side dish they already have on their menu and turn it into an entrée as a one-time offering.
“The Main Street Macon board is responsible for many of the fun, creative, and collaborative events that happen downtown throughout the year,” said Emily Hopkins, Vice President of External Affairs and Main Street Macon Manager at NewTown Macon. “Events like the French Fry Fight help show off downtown’s best assets -our locally owned and operated businesses.”
"It's so much fun to just walk around and try all of them," Mitchell said. "I just say spend the day and try the french fries. I have yet to have a bad fry at the French Fry Fight."
Downtown-goers can vote for their favorite special online at newtownmacon.com and in addition, can find all of the available fries. According to NewTown Macon, the restaurant with the most votes will win the "Super Spud Award" and bragging rights.