Saddlebags Macon proposed for former Crazy Bull building

The proposed downtown venue would feature an 85-seat restaurant and bar, live music, line-dancing lessons and mechanical bull riding.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — A country-themed restaurant, bar and nightclub featuring live music, line dancing and a mechanical bull could open in the former Crazy Bull building in downtown Macon.

The Macon-Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission will consider Monday whether to grant conditional-use approval for Saddlebags Macon at 473 Second St.

The proposed venue would operate inside an existing 22,694-square-foot commercial building that dates to about 1900, according to Planning and Zoning documents. The property covers approximately 0.24 acres and is zoned for central business district use.

Plans call for an 85-seat restaurant and bar with a dance floor, nightly DJs, live bands, line-dancing lessons and mechanical bull riding. The venue would also host private parties, corporate functions, birthday celebrations, dance showcases and bull-riding competitions.

The business plan lists Southern-style food, burgers, wings, appetizers, beer, cocktails and whiskey flights among its proposed offerings.

Planning and Zoning’s staff summary lists proposed operating hours of 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week.

The building previously housed Crazy Bull, which Planning and Zoning said operated in much the same way from 2013 until permanently closing in October 2023.

Planning staff said the proposed venue is “generally compatible” with the surrounding section of Second Street, which includes restaurants, brewpubs and bars. Staff also said the proposal is consistent with the property’s mixed-use designation in Macon-Bibb County’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

Because the venue would include amplified music and a mechanical bull, staff said noise and vibration protections would be needed.

If the commission approves the request, the applicant would have to submit a plan prepared by a sound engineer. The plan must limit noise along the sidewalk and street to 65 decibels and prevent bass vibrations from disturbing neighboring buildings.

Other proposed conditions include approval for exterior changes and signage, a prohibition on adult entertainment and compliance with Building and Fire Safety requirements. Macon Water Authority and Macon-Bibb County Health Department approvals would also be required.

The Planning and Zoning hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. Monday, August 10, in the commission’s conference room on the lower level of the Macon Mall, located at 3661 Eisenhower Parkway.

People who want to speak may register at the kiosk outside the conference room until the hearing begins.