- The closure of two popular restaurants in Havana has left the town with vacant storefronts, but MaadGoat Pizza is bringing a fresh new taste to help revitalize the area.
- The community is rallying behind small businesses like MaadGoat Pizza, hoping to fill the gaps left by closures and encourage a stronger local economy.
- Watch the video to see when MaadGoat Pizza will be in town!
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In the wake of two recent restaurant closures in downtown Havana, a new pop-up pizza truck is helping to fill the void and bring a sense of revitalization to the area.
MaadGoat Pizza, a mobile eatery setting up in the heart of the town, aims to offer not only delicious food but also renewed optimism to a community grappling with empty storefronts.
Owner Austin Davis, whose business got its start in Havana, sees the pop-up pizza truck as a way to give back to the town that helped him grow.
“Havana is one of the places we kind of started growing with,” Davis says, explaining that his goal is to contribute to the community in a meaningful way. “I hate small businesses closing,” he adds.
Havana’s downtown has been hit hard by these closures.
“We had an unexpected tragic death of one of our beloved restaurants Oscars,” says Terri Paul, Vice President of Havana Main Street. “In the meantime, we also had one of our very successful restaurants who is getting ready to move into another location. They closed February 1st. They’re hoping for a month or so before they reopen.”
In response to these challenges, Paul and other neighbors are working together to find ways to bring life back to the area.
“We are 45 minutes from Bainbridge, 30 minutes from Tallahassee and 20 minutes from Quincy, so you need restaurants for these people,” Paul explains, emphasizing the need for vibrant businesses to support the community.
For many, revitalizing Downtown Havana means focusing on the core need for more restaurants and businesses to fill the gaps left by closures. Local realtor Jay Young notes that while restaurant ownership is tough, it is crucial to attracting visitors to the town.
“For a small town it’s especially challenging, because on their own, there’s not enough pull. I think if we can get a couple good restaurants and other entertainment venues, people aren’t going to leave Havana and go to Tallahassee to get a bite to eat,” Young says.
As the pop-up pizza truck rolls into town, it’s clear that it’s about more than just serving food—it’s about showing that Havana still has a lot to offer. The continued support for small businesses like MaadGoat Pizza is an important step in rebuilding the town’s economy and morale. “I’m really excited to come back, I’m really excited to do stuff here,” says Davis, looking forward to the future.
MaadGoat Pizza will be serving up fresh pizza from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, February 7th at the designated location in downtown Havana.
