NewTown Macon and Macon Magazine are kicking off a new tradition for Maconites to look forward to this Friday, Sept. 12, when Macon Restaurant Week begins. Until Saturday, Sept. 20, 15 locally owned restaurants from go-to breakfast spots to casual- and elegant-dining in downtown Macon will offer special deals to highlight their menus.
Each restaurant had the opportunity to include items at a variety of price points, from $10 “steals,” to the “478 Date Night Challenge,” which allows for a creative dining experience for two priced at $47.80. NewTown Macon’s website has a breakdown of what each restaurant has offered for this special week at the special prices.
If the deals are not compelling enough, you can grab a Restaurant Week Passport at any of the participating locations for a chance to earn prizes for completed visits, including the chance at winning a $500 gift card to the downtown restaurant of the winner’s choosing. The restaurants themselves are competing against each other for the People’s Choice title, which can be voted on at Macon Magazine's website.
Scott Mitchell, owner of Sweet Eleanor’s, said that “winning People’s Choice would mean the world to us.” Sweet Eleanor’s menu reflects that of a coffee shop with a major dessert flair.
On the other end of the spectrum, Braddock’s Cask & Table has a menu that covers a wide range of savory aspects to provide customers with a unique and upscale dining experience. And the benefits extend to the businesses themselves, too. The publicity of the event and influx of diners could help build a base of customers that would have otherwise not gone to these restaurants.
Ingrid Davis, executive chef and co-owner of Braddock’s, told The Cluster that “We are still a new restaurant in Macon, and many still don't know about us.”
“We want to show Maconites how much value and flavor they can get in just a few blocks,” Julia Morrison, managing editor of the Macon Magazine, said in an email, “We want you to get away from doomscrolling and out on the town for fun with friends and family to savor the taste of good food and great company.”
Restaurants and hosts alike are hopeful that this event is something that can continue for years on end. It’s not just about the great food, Mitchell said, but these meals can also be pivotal to remind “everyone that when we come together around a table, we build a stronger, more connected community.”
The participating restaurants include:
Longleaf Distillery
Taste and See Coffee Shop & Gallery
Macon Bagels
Dovetail
H&H Soul Food
Sweet Eleanor’s
The Brick
Cashman’s Pub
Braddock’s Cask & Table
Ocmulgee Brewpub
Hotel Forty Five - Loom
Shuster’s Candy & Creamery
The Social Duck
Satterfield’s BBQ
Macon Water Ice
Ryleigh Sandefur '28 is a Journalism and History double major at Mercer University. She loves writing for The Cluster and photography, and she enjoys watching movies, hockey and baseball, as well as crafting in her free time.
