If you’ve paid any attention in your classics or philosophy courses, you’re probably at least somewhat familiar with the famous thinker Thomas Hobbes. His most popular work, Leviathan, details his thoughts on humanity’s bare state of nature, absent any government or society. The most cited passage from Hobbes’ most cited book is that the state of nature is “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”
In a nutshell: that’s the life experience of most businesses on Court Street.
OK, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but the principle is generally the same. Few storefronts survive infancy on Athens’ main thoroughfare.
The reason is pretty straightforward – Court Street is mostly patronized by college students, whose consumption habits are finnicky at best. To survive on the bricks, businesses must keep overhead low, especially in the dead summer months, and keep the interests of their customers high. Very few have found a way to make that formula work for them.
With that in mind, let’s dive in and see what changes Court Street has seen in recent years, and what’s in store for the future:
R.I.P. Wendy’s
When COVID hit, some of its first casualties were food service establishments. Wendy’s on Court was no exception.
Located at 40 S. Court St., Wendy’s was once a staple, and even symbol, of late-night debauchery in Athens. Students would clamor (and stumble) down the bricks once the bars closed to get their hands on some cheap fast food.
“It sucks that a place where everyone likes to go and eat and that’s affordable is gone,” one student remarked in a Post article on the chain’s closure.
The space – known for its iconic green awning overtop the storefront – now sits vacant. The owners operate the other two Wendy’s in town, one on East State Street and one on Richland Avenue.
A Newcomer Emerges
Who doesn’t love mac and cheese? The answer is about 8% of America.
Seriously, there is a popularity poll for the dish. Check it out here.
Anyway, if you’re in the 92% of America that likes mac and cheese, you’re in luck. Cincinnati-based Keystone’s Mac Shack is opening at 14 S. Court St., in the space of a former pizza joint. “The new location will serve Mac Shack’s comfort food menu of eight signature made-from-scratch mac + cheeses, a rotating mac of the week, homemade whipped cream pies, and more,” an Athens Messenger report read.
They’ll be open late, too. The new space will allow you to enjoy hot mac and cheese until 3 a.m.
Chicken and Waffles Changes Hands
Though not technically on Court Street, this might as well be.
Located at 11 W. Union, across the street from Jackie O’s, Uptown Grill was sold to a new owner in spring 2020.
Usually just called “Chicken and Waffles,” Uptown Grill was known for their signature dish. They were open late, usually until 3 or 4 a.m., and served other food as well, like burgers and fries.
The dish remains, but the business has been renamed to Grub-n-Go.
“(I’m) keeping the same menu but dropping chicken and waffles, (I’m) adding a breakfast menu that’ll have fresh hash browns,” new owner Todd Thompson said in a Post article.
Competition in the Late-Night Chicken Market
There’s now more than one place to get your late-night chicken and waffles fix.
Bad Boys Chicken, also known as BBC chicken, opened last spring at 61 N. Court, adjacent to The Over Hang bar. It serves fried chicken in a variety of ways and is open late on weekends to catch the drunk college student rush.
“I’m Black, I’m African American, so my grandma cooked fried chicken and that fried chicken was good as hell. I thought about what her fried chicken tastes like, and using my abilities that I’ve come to grow as a chef, I was kind of able to replicate those flavors a little bit,” BBC chicken owner Brian Godfrey said in a Post article.
Godfrey, who goes by BG, was a student at OU between 2017-2018. He left to go to Colorado and has since returned to start his chicken business on Court Street.
Court Streets gets a Cantina
Located prominently at 21 S. Court St. in the former China King, El Tenampa is serving up Mexican cusine and margaritas.
This place gets flooded at the start of the evening on weekends and has become a great place for Bobcats to begin their night.
Their margs can also come in “tower” form; three liters of potent, delicious drink for you to share with your friends.
“In this town, we have Chinese and American food and Italian food … so I think it’s good to try something new,” store owner David Gonzalez said in a Post article.
Inside the restaurant, there’s a massive mural of Athens and long bar where patrons can sit and be served. Table seating is also available.
While the businesses on Court Street may be changing, the spirit of it is not. Bobcats continue to be the target demographic, with businesses staying open late and serving up hot food to ravenous revelers.