B Entertainment today announced that we are planning to expand our business into the Atlanta metro area and are in negotiations with the City of Gainesville, Georgia to locate a campus that will bring great live music, a first-class event venue and the highly acclaimed Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern to a location adjacent to the downtown square.
The City of Gainesville, GA partners with CO-based B Entertainment to deliver a new music venue and restaurant.
B Entertainment and the Roth family are partnering with local business leaders Frank Simpson and Robert Mudd to build a campus that incorporates a world class, 15,000-square-foot music and event venue, a 9,000-square-foot Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern and an accompanying 8,000-square-foot outdoor patio. The campus will include a rooftop bourbon bar and a collection of outdoor gathering areas centered around fireplaces which will provide a unique place for the families and friends of North Georgia to gather and celebrate life and community.
In addition to bringing approximately 100 concerts per year, the venue will provide the community a versatile corporate, wedding and event venue like no other in our region. We believe this business and campus will become a magnet to the downtown square and will attract people from the entire region to the beautiful center of our city building strength into our local economy.
‘We are planning to build a campus that fully compliments the historical architecture of the downtown square while also providing amenities only found in the world’s finest music and performance venues. We are excited to partner with the City of Gainesville to finalize our plan with the City over coming months and open in the first half of 2022, “said B Entertainment Chairman and CEO JW Roth.
In conjunction with this investment, the City plans to renovate the historic Poultry Park across West Academy Street from the planned site of the music venue and restaurant. The City has been in discussions with Georgia Poultry Federation representatives Abit Massey and Mike Giles for several months about the upgrades for Poultry Park, which will include parking for those who want to gain a better sense of the monument at the park, but also support parking for events at The Arts Council depot and the Bourbon Brothers venue.
“The Georgia Poultry Federation is proud of Poultry Park and the monument that shows that Gainesvilleis the Poultry Capital of the World,” Massey said. “Mike Giles and I are excited that the monument, with chicken on top, will be moved closer to the street where it will be even more visible and that parking will be available on the site as Gainesvillecontinues to grow.”
“We believe this is the right time to proceed with upgrades to Poultry Park that will allow more people to visit the monument and gain a better sense of the role the poultry industry has played in Gainesville’s history,” Giles said. “We’re pleased that Poultry Park will be a part of this exciting new development. As Gainesville’s entertainment options continue to grow in the years to come, so will the poultry industry that has been so important to Gainesville’s economy for decades.”
“We believe the development of the Bourbon Brothers restaurant and music venue adds a sense of vitality to the western side of downtown with a world-class facility that will draw thousands of visitors to Gainesville each year,” said City Manager Bryan Lackey. “Additionally, we felt it was the right time to seize upon the implementation of our place-making efforts for Poultry Park.”
Mayor Danny Dunagan said the timing of B Entertainment’s planned expansion into Gainesvillecouldn’t be better, as the world-class music venue and Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern will align seamlessly with other mixed-use developments underway in the City. Dunagan said the venue-restaurant combo will be perfectly positioned to benefit from those developments, the majority featuring new residential opportunities, once complete.
“Just when we thought things couldn’t get any more exciting in downtown Gainesville, B Entertainment executives approached City leaders about this impressive project – one we’re convinced will attract residents and visitors from all over,” he said. “Gainesville’s already a well-known tourism hotspot, but I’m confident this partnership with B Entertainment will take the City to new heights in comparison with other destinations in Northeast Georgia.
“Once complete, this music/event venue, paired with the Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, will have the opportunity to entertain an anticipated surge in downtown interest brought on by the future Solis Gainesville and Gainesville Renaissance projects – residential-commercial developments on the horizon that are both within walking distance,” Dunagan added. “The City also hopes to welcome in the future a new downtown hotel on the former National Bank property. We’re thrilled and honored that B Entertainment has selected Gainesville to help grow their business, and sees in the City the same appealing qualities we value every day.”
Gainesville Tourism Director Robyn Lynch said the City’s popularity as the place to live, work, learn and play only continues to grow, and with that comes increased demand for hotel/motel rooms, venue space, restaurant seating, etc. Lynch said Gainesville’s many dining options, especially, continue to draw visitors in from surrounding counties on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
“There’s no doubt Gainesville, Georgia is the place to be, and we look forward to partnering with B Entertainment on the marketing of the venue for groups looking to host meetings and conferences,” she said. “Even in the midst of a pandemic, City staff has continued to see hoteliers welcoming out-of-towners visiting for corporate meetings and conferences; events, like Food Truck Friday and First Friday concerts; even fishermen and college athletes participating in various tournaments on Lake Lanier. And with the newly established Greater Gainesville Sports Alliance marketing Gainesville–Hall County as a premier sports and outdoor recreation destination, we expect the number of annual visitors to rise. These same people who purchase lodging nights are also shopping at local businesses, booking local services, eating in our restaurants, and are seated in venues listening to local artists and bands.”
Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Vice President of Economic Development Tim Evans said B Entertainment’s future investment in downtown Gainesville will not only enhance the City’s unparalleled quality of life, but reinforce Gainesville–Hall County’s strong position as a business hub leading Northeast Georgia in redevelopment, retail, recreation and the arts.
“When you consider the growth Gainesville’s seen the past six months alone, there’s no denying this city is the poster child for economic development right now,” Evans said. “The word is getting out about all Gainesville–Hall County has to offer – attracting potential new residents, but also business and industry. So far in 2021, Gainesville’s made the top 10 best-performing cities list for the nation. Gainesville–Hall County was also recognized as a top small metro for job creation and investment, and named one of the best places for business and careers. Community leaders have worked extremely hard to position Gainesville–Hall County on the map as a true destination worthy of attracting desirable businesses such as Bourbon Brothers.”