The past 18 months of COVID-19 have been a roller coaster ride for small businesses. At best, they had to adapt their business models to better meet a clientele that’s spending less time out and about, while at worst, they were shut down due to government restrictions on public gatherings. With vaccinations now more readily available, Franklin residents are seeing business grow again.
Driving up and down the highway, people can see activity at the new chain restaurants. Chick-Fil-A has made significant progress prepping its site for a new restaurant on Siler Road across from the Dowdle Mountain Pit Stop, while Cookout is still advancing slowly in the old Dairy Queen location. Dunkin’ is getting ready to set up shop in Franklin at the former Bojangles site on Georgia Road. All three restaurants are still several months away from welcoming customers and have not issued opening dates yet.
“We’re working on inspections right now for Dunkin’, so things may start moving quicker with them soon,” Assistant County Planner Joe Allen said. “We don’t have the permits yet for the new Ingles or Cookout, but they could have something to us any day.” A new Ingles is planned for the old Walmart location in Holly Springs Plaza on Highway 64.
New attractions have come to the downtown area as well, while others are on the way. The Slanted Window wine tasting room has been in the works since 2019 and is expected to open on Harrison Avenue sometime next year. Where Martha’s Kitchen used to be right outside the Macon County Courthouse, Las Margaritas has seen success with diners who are starting to get more comfortable with eating out.
“We also just started working with DoorDash,” manager Mary Kay Cochran said. “We’re seeing a good mix of people using both.”
Businesses setting up shop elsewhere in the county are taking on a wide variety of projects. Bella View Farm is taking in special needs baby farm animals, while Fibernew offers repair services for leather, plastic, upholstery and other household materials – perfect for those who find themselves stuck at home more often. The Franklin Chamber of Commerce is seeing a steady stream of new member recruitment with these business openings and chamber director Linda Harbuck is glad to see many different services becoming more widely available.
“We’re really happy to see new types of businesses sprouting up,” Harbuck said. “At least types that are new to us.”
COVID-19 remains an ever-present issue for businesses of all kinds and there’s no telling how the coming weeks and months of the pandemic will impact the market. For now, though, it seems that Franklin’s economy is growing.
“Business seems to have been pretty good overall this year,” Harbuck said. “The biggest problem now is finding people to work.”