Macado’s Makes a Return and Readies to Reopen

Macados+will+reopen+soon%2C+and+plans+to+offer+more+opportunities+for+student+engagement+than+ever+before.

Antonio Walters

Macado’s will reopen soon, and plans to offer more opportunities for student engagement than ever before.

Guest Contributor, Antonio Walters

Macado’s will soon reopen on the Emory & Henry campus and is hiring members of the college community as upgrades continue on the building itself.

This Macado’s location closed its doors when the college did in the spring of 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the campus community was told that Macado’s would return sometime this September.

“I told Macado’s owner, Richard Macher, about our desire for them to reopen but they had to commit to a certain date,” Mark Graham, vice president for administration and general counsel, said. “We agreed to a lease extension after they promised to be reopened by the middle to end of September.”

Once word spread around campus, students were eager at the prospect of Macado’s returning.

“I’m excited about hearing that Macados is returning,” Mackenzie Welch, a junior at E&H, said. “I remember being a first year student in 2019, seeing my best friends, and being able to have fun in a comfortable environment.”

Moreover, Welch considered Macado’s as an employment opportunity for members of the campus community.

“We put up a sign on the building last month to help recruit workers,” Graham said. Anyone interested can go to this website to apply: macados.net/careers.

In terms of changes to Macado’s itself, COVID-19 concerns are still being addressed.

“To help maintain distance between guests, a plan is in place to expand outdoor seating,” Graham said. “A fire pit is being constructed and the deck is being expanded to accommodate bands, as well.”

Additionally, the building itself is being updated.

“They are upgrading aspects of the kitchen and doing a deep clean of everything, but much of the interior will remain the same,” Graham went on. “The college has painted most of the exterior of the building and is in the process of restoring the gazebo in the back.”

Finally, new opportunities for even more student involvement at Macado’s are in the works.

“Our Student Activities Coordinator, Calvin Joyner, is planning fun activities like karaoke nights and trivia nights,” Graham continued, “which would be held on a regular basis to provide more opportunities for student engagement.”