MACON, Ga. — Macon's downtown nightlife scene is attracting more people to the city, and business owners say the holiday season has a lot to do with it.
"We just kind of thought that Macon needed a place where it was strictly just go dance and have fun," owner of Late Nite dance club Wes Nobles said.
He saw the opportunity in downtown Macon to open his business in 2018 on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard.
"It just seemed to be a very trendy thing now to be able to move downtown, live downtown," Nobles said.
Military veterans Jeremy and Kenya Jackson own Daiquiris & More over on 2nd Street. They noticed the same trend and opened up their bar last March.
"There were quite a few like, dance clubs and kind of the scene for a younger crowd, and with us being in our mid-30s, it was just like, 'hey, we just want to have somewhere to kind of relaxed that's not too loud and still have a good time,'" Jeremy said.
Alex Morrison from the Urban Development Authority says both businesses are a part of the growth in downtown Macon.
"In the last year, you've seen about 10 new businesses. Over the last five, it's been well over 30 new businesses that have opened up downtown. You've seen hundreds of new lofts that have come online," Morrison said.
Morrison says more options bring more people downtown, especially around the holidays. Nobles says last New Year's Eve was their busiest night.
"We were absolutely packed to the gills last year, and it was good. A little stressful, but it was the first time we were packed out," Nobles said.
The Jacksons hosted their first New Year's Eve since opening, but they've already got another business plan in mind.
"We just decided literally right across the street from us that we would open up a restaurant, and it'll be named Crave Scratch Kitchen," Jeremy said.
Morrison is optimistic about the continued growth for Macon.
"We just know that 2020 is going to be an even bigger year for downtown.," Morrison said.
He says the Christmas parade, the Main Street Macon Light Extravaganza, and events like Bragg Jam are also major factors that bring people downtown.
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