Milledgeville Summer Sips promotion boosts revenue for locally-owned restaurants with hand-crafted drink specials

The promotion was launched last year to help local restaurants recover from the Covid-19 Pandemic. The promotion has been extended to three months thanks to its success last year.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Cocktails, mocktails, coffee and tea are all on the menu for the City of Milledgeville’s  2nd annual Summer Sips promotion.

If you’re looking for a refreshing drink this summer, locally owned restaurants in Milledgeville have plenty to choose from.

The promotion started in 2022 in response to revenue loss caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Last year, Summer Sips lasted for only one month, but Executive Director of Visit Milledgeville, Rebekah Snider, says the promotion was so successful that the city extended it from the beginning of June to the end of August.

“We’re really hoping that that’s going to mean at least triple the sales that we had last year, and we’d like to see it do even better as we begin to spread the word,” Snider said. “Not only just here in our community but regionally as well.”

The number of participating businesses has grown from 10 restaurants last year to 16 this year. They offer hand-crafted drink specials for $10 or less during Summer Sips.

At Buffington’s, you can order the English Garden cocktail. It’s made with gin, elderflower, apple juice, mint and cucumber.

Bartender Bridges Sanders says Buffington’s has already sold several of them.

“It’s definitely improved business, or if not improved it, at least incentivized people to get some new drinks and try something new,” he said.

Summer Sips also has plenty of non-alcoholic options. If you’re looking for something sweet with a caffeine kick, try the Oreo Shaken Espresso at Morning Grind.

The drink is made with chocolate syrup and espresso shaken with your choice of milk and is garnished with Oreo cookie crumbles.

The owner of Morning Grind, Bridget Smith, says the drink has been their best-seller since the promotion started. The cafe opened last August, and Smith hopes it will bring her business more attention.

“I think it will drive traffic in and we’ll get to meet new customers, new people from the community,” Smith said. “I think they’ll come through our doors to try our drink, so I hope that it will get people out and about and more involved in the community, so come and try us out.”

Rebekah Snider says she hopes even more local businesses participate in Summer Sips next year. She encourages any business owners to contact Visit Milledgeville to join Summer Sips 2024.

Click here for a full list of participating restaurants and drink descriptions.