St. Joe Today is feeling good about the success of the Downtown Social District in downtown St. Joe, sponsored in part by Sturgis Bank. The Downtown Social District was created to support downtown local restaurants, breweries, wineries and other establishments by allowing outdoor dining and alcoholic beverage consumption in a specially designated area.
The footprint of the Downtown District includes:
West side of Main Street
· Market Street to Water Street
· West from the 600 block alleys to Lake Bluff Park; down bluff stairs to include Silver Beach Pizza
East side of Main Street
· Pleasant Street to Court Street
· Court Street to Ship Street
“Currently there are over 40 cities with Social Districts in the state of Michigan, and downtown St. Joe is a great example of a success of the concept,” said Amy Zapal, executive director, St. Joe Today. Zapal says they were grateful to work with the license holders, City of St. Joseph and Michigan Liquor Control Commission for a quick turnaround. “We were happy to help small businesses and restaurants when it was needed most and are excited to watch them thrive in the post-COVID world.”
Visitors and residents are able to purchase to-go drinks from participating locations and consume them in the Downtown District Commons Area. For a complete list of current participants, updates, and the full map of the Commons Area, visit stjoetoday.com/socialdistrict.
Megan Yore, Vice President of Marketing for Sturgis Bank and Trust Company said, “Sturgis Bank believes in supporting our hometowns and their small businesses,” said Megan Yore, Vice President of Marketing for Sturgis Bank and Trust Company. “The social district is a great way to attract visitors to St. Joseph, where we’re happy to be part of the neighborhood through our downtown office.”
