Page 36 - White County NCG 2021

It’s all part of what he, his business partners, “I believe it’s an attractive place,” O’Bryant
Downtown
Cleveland
Attracting New
Restaurants, Retailers
By Michael Hall
Ward Gann
Owner, Clyde’s Table and Tavern
T here’s nothing wrong Street, across the street from the Courthouse
Square, in October of 2018, and “it’s been
with the classic Southern
“meat and three” restaurants
gangbusters ever since,” he said.
at which Ward Gann had
eaten hundreds of times
in Cleveland. Since coming to the small, “It’s been very well received, even during the
COVID year,” Gann added.
Northeast Georgia town of about 5,000
people in the late 1990s, Gann had always In the more than two and a half years since
thought it would be nice to have a little Clyde’s opened, downtown Cleveland has
more variety when it came to dining seen several new businesses open their
options, especially around the square in doors. Finn’s on Main, a men’s clothing
downtown Cleveland. store, Wingostarr Jewelry, Low Carb Market,
Farmhouse Coffee have all opened recently.
“We moved here in 1999 and we had nowhere A new deli and sandwich shop is also coming,
to go eat unless you wanted a meat and three, said Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner.
and a lot of people wanted more than that,”
Gann said. Gann, who drew the plans for Clyde’s himself
and funded the project almost exclusively
He put his mind to changing that after retiring from his own pocket, has had so much
from a career that started in farming and fun running a restaurant, he plans to open
ended in the insurance business. In doing another one just three doors away. Horseshoe
so, Gann prompted a wave of redevelopment Grill and Tap will be more of a sports bar
investment in downtown Cleveland. He and grill atmosphere, a place to hang out and
opened Clyde’s Table and Tavern on Jarrard watch the game with friends, Gann said.
32 White County Community Guide | 706-865-5356 | WhiteCountyChamber.org
members of the White County Chamber of said. “It seems to be a popular place for
Commerce, and others in the community small businesses.”
see as an opportunity to turn downtown
Cleveland into a destination in and of itself. He saw the demand in action recently
when an old Cleveland Police Department
“We said, ‘How do we want it to look?’ ‘How substation was vacant. O’Bryant said five
do we want it to feel?’ ‘How do we want it to businesses inquired about it, ultimately
taste?’” Gann said. resulting in the opening of Farmhouse Coffee.
So many other little towns have invested in But a downtown resurgence doesn’t just
their downtowns and they are bustling with happen overnight. The city invested during
activity, Gann said. Why not Cleveland, the past few years in new sidewalks and
they asked? designs for streetscapes to make the area more
Clyde’s has set the tone for
A lot of people like to escape big cities, but what it should look like and I pedestrian friendly. That first step, and an
effort by the city to work with the downtown
still want great shopping and dining options don’t think Cleveland will be a merchants’ alliance and small businesses
nearby, Mayor Turner said.
city that rolls up its sidewalks looking to open there, have paid dividends,
O’Bryant said.
“Small towns are becoming more appealing,” at 5 o’clock anymore. “We want to make sure there is a nice mix
he said. “This younger generation, instead of
Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner
the chains and those types of restaurants, they
like to find those cool, interesting local places. Turner adds. “The draw of a small town is of businesses to serve the public,” he
said. “We want a diverse mix of retail and
And we have a lot of charm, a lot of character
restaurants in downtown.”
and a lot of history in our area, and I think
people find it appealing.” that we are still small enough that we know
The additional jobs and tax revenue that come our neighbors, and it’s good to catch up and O’Bryant said the White County Chamber
of Commerce and Beth Truelove, executive
see people.”
into the city with new and thriving businesses Cleveland city manager Tom O’Bryant said director, have been instrumental in working
with businesses and the merchants’ alliance
is a plus, too, Turner said, and will only be a
boon for the city in the future. downtown’s future looks bright. There was to ensure downtown Cleveland is where
White Countians and visitors want to spend
no empty space available on the square as
Clyde’s has driven a lot of the growth of March 2021, but he has heard of interest their time.
in prospective future openings already. In
Cleveland is seeing in its downtown district,
Turner said. It has good food, a good 2020, Cleveland reinstated its Downtown “It’s good to have this kind of demand,
atmosphere, and people will come from miles Development Authority, which focuses on interest and support for our downtown,”
out for a fun Friday or Saturday night. economic development in downtown. O’Bryant said.
Downtown Cleveland