ATLANTA – Atlanta city leaders are taking a closer look at what is and isn’t working for city nightlife businesses.
The City of Atlanta partnered with Jon Stover & Associates for a study on nightlife’s economic impact and what makes these businesses stand out.
What we know:
The new study found nightlife in Atlanta has a total economic impact of $8.5 billion, including $5.1 billion in yearly revenue. According to the report, nightlife supports more than 41,000 jobs, making it the fifth-largest employment sector in the city.
The report showed more than half of nightlife businesses are still hurting since the COVID-19 pandemic, and are facing rising costs. The city is looking at what needs to be done for this huge piece of the local economy.
The study also showed nearly half of Atlanta’s nightlife patrons are going out less than they had been a year ago. Safety concerns and transportation were reported as the biggest issues for customers, businesses, and employees.
More than half of those surveyed said they had concerns about car break-ins, violent crime, challenges with MARTA, and a lack of parking. City leaders are looking at ways to fix the problems, including increasing lighting and security, establishing more training, and looking for creative parking and transportation options.
The backstory:
This has been an ongoing focus for Mayor Andre Dickens. In 2022, he established a Nightlife Division to help businesses collaborate and learn. That group is now looking at ways to fix the safety and transportation problems, saying each is considered a high priority.
What they’re saying:
“Nightlife is so vital to and important to Atlanta‘s economy, and the things that people like to do when they visit the city, as well as those who live here in Atlanta, so we want to make sure we get it right,” Dickens said.
You can read the full report here.
The Source: FOX 5’s Lindsay Tuman reported this story out of Atlanta. Additional information came from the City of Atlanta’s report on Atlanta’s nightlife economy.
