Sweet Eleanor’s is a new dessert and gelato shop located downtown. It has taken the former place of Decadent Dessert Bar which closed this past summer. However, Sweet Eleanor’s owner, Scott Mitchell, who also owns the Bohemian Den on Cherry Street, says his desire to open up a second business was in its location.
Mitchell says that Poplar Street’s large center median populated with benches and a ping pong table makes the street more vibrant and lively, and brings a different feeling to the street than others. It welcomes foot traffic and shoppers.
According to NewTown Macon’s CEO and President Josh Rogers, Poplar Street has seen a recent boom in the last five to seven years, with over 97% of the storefronts currently occupied.
Rogers owes this success to the annual Macon Christmas Lights Extravaganza which has amplified the street’s popularity. Additionally, he credits NewTown’s Block Program, which focused explicitly on developing two blocks of Cherry Street and one block of Poplar. This program has sparked development in the area and has welcomed businesses of all backgrounds.
To Mitchell, Poplar Street and downtown Macon are more than just buildings.
“Downtown Macon is a space where if you put your heart and soul into it, it will give you back so much more than you could ever imagine,” he said.
