The Town of Davidson’s Main Street Social District will expand to include Sadler Square on March 1, 2026, following an ordinance the Board of Commissioners passed on Jan. 27. The decision comes as new businesses prepare to open in Sadler Square at 201 Griffith St.

Social districts, which the North Carolina General Assembly permitted cities to create in 2021, are zones in which people 21 and older can purchase and openly consume alcohol from permitted ABC vendors, provided they stay within the zone and abide by certain restrictions.

Mayor Rusty Knox said the Town views social districts as an economic opportunity. 

“We have viewed the social district as more of an economic development driver and something that folks that visit Davidson from other areas around the country that already have established social districts are comfortable with,” Knox said.

Davidson established its current social districts in 2023: the Davidson Main Street Social District and the Davidson Circles Social District. The Main Street district began at Depot Street and stretched down Main Street to Eugenia Street. Now, it reaches beyond Depot Street to Griffith Street and Watson Street. The Circles district is confined to the plaza between Jetton Street and Grocery Lane. 

The proposal to expand the district was presented to the board on Jan. 13 and 20. Mayor Rusty Knox said no one raised any issues when the board sought public feedback.

“We’ve literally had no objections since day one to starting the social district and expanding the social district,” Knox said. 

Knox understands that residents may be skeptical of openly carrying alcohol around town. 

 “A lot of people think it’s free range drinking and it’s not,” Knox said. “We’ve limited where those areas are, and so it’s not like you can just come to town and open a beer and walk all over the place. [There are] defined areas for that.” 

The expansion comes just in time for new restaurants arriving in Sadler Square early this year. Harriet’s Hamburgers and Ilio’s Crafted Greek will be the first to open, followed by Seemingly Overzealous Ice Cream. 

Jonathan Stewart, partner at Piedmont Capital, the company that owns Sadler Square, said the restaurants will begin settling into their storefronts in springtime.

Rooster’s Wood Fired Grill and Copain Bakery are expected to open between July and August. Minor renovations remain, like landscaping and preparing the interior for kitchen setups.

The new restaurants can waive social district participation regardless of whether or not they will have ABC permits. 

Kim Fleming is the Town of Davidson’s economic development director. In an email to The Davidsonian, she explained that businesses can file for one of three types of permits. 

“All businesses within the social district have the ability to participate in the social district by submitting one of the following permits: sold here, permitted here, or not permitted here. Each business applies for the permit that corresponds to their level of participation,” Fleming wrote.

“Sold here” businesses can sell and allow alcohol in the social district; “permitted here” businesses allow alcohol purchased in the social district on their premises; “not permitted here” businesses neither sell nor permit alcohol on their property. Decals outside each building in the district will indicate whether or not alcohol is welcome.