Mercer Village’s newest restaurant will be a neighborhood tavern concept called 1833 Tavern. The new space will replace the footprint of Mercer Village Pizza, which closed down over the summer.
The goal of the restaurant is to create a comfortable and approachable space to serve Macon, whether it’s Mercer students, staff and alumni or longtime residents, owner David Bartlett said. “Mercer Village is also a unique neighborhood. You have college students who may be away from home for the first time, but you also have families, alumni and an established community surrounding the university. We wanted to build a place that could serve all of them,” he said.
The concept’s name is a nod to the year Mercer University was founded, Bartlett, a Maconite and current Executive Chef of Macon Supper Club, said.
Bartlett says he brings to the venture his experience with the local resident's needs and his knowledge of the Macon-Bibb area. “We aren’t trying to make 1833 overly formal or precious. We want the food to be recognizable and approachable,” he said, “prepared with a level of care and attention to detail that elevates familiar dishes without elevating the price beyond what makes sense for a neighborhood restaurant.”
The restaurant’s new footprint, adjacent to ZBeans and across from the University bookstore, has had a turbulent history on the borders of Mercer’s campus. The venue has seen three businesses in the last six years. Sauced, a pizza concept, closed in 2019 due to financial issues and was replaced by JAG’s Pizza, another pizzeria complete with a full-service bar. JAG’s ran for nearly four years before closing in 2023. Mercer Village Pizza took its place in 2024 before shutting down this summer.
This revolving door of tenants does not deter Bartlett, though, who believes his connections with Margarita's, Mercer Village’s longest-running and most successful restaurant, will help his concept succeed amongst students and local residents.
“One advantage we do have is that part of our ownership group is also involved with Margarita's in Mercer Village,” he said. “That gives us firsthand knowledge of the neighborhood, its customer base and what it takes to operate a successful business in this particular market.”
He also shared that the staff intends to focus their efforts on preparing great food and providing a comfortable atmosphere with friendly hospitality. “If we can execute those things consistently, we believe we’ll give ourselves the best opportunity to succeed,” he said.
The restaurant plans to expand the space’s kitchen capacity beyond the previous pizza-focused layout in order to provide a menu appealing to a wide audience. Bartlett also shared that on the menu, guests can find comfort food, like smash burgers, pizza, sandwiches and salads.
“The same philosophy carries over to the bar. We want a strong bourbon and whiskey selection, cocktails, local and Georgia spirits and beers, alongside the familiar things people expect from a neighborhood tavern,” he said.
In order to be prepared for its opening, the space has been in the process of undergoing renovations. “There has also been a lot of work happening throughout the restaurant to make the space feel like 1833 rather than simply putting a new sign on an old restaurant,” Bartlett said.
Students can see the venue’s new progress on campus now as it currently undergoes construction. “Its been exciting to watch the space gradually become the restaurant we envisioned,” Bartlett said.
He added that he plans to announce the upcoming opening date soon, but will wait until all inspections and permits have been completed to finalize it.
Joslyn Hicks ‘29 is a Journalism major at Mercer University. She is excited for her first year as a staff writer for The Cluster. In her free time, you can find her reading a book or singing along to Taylor Swift songs.
