Behind the Scenes – MAC close to opening
A great Arts & Entertainment District needs outstanding nightlife, and while City Café, Tipsy Toad, Racquets, Mikes Inn, and the Harbor Steakhouse provide a variety of places for fun, another destination will soon be added to the mix. The Muskegon Athletic Club is the brainchild of Andy Buck, a White Lake native who couldn’t get enough of the great nightlife in Southeast Michigan, while an architecture student. As no one was stepping up to fill the void, Andy did and his vision will become a reality in any day when the Muskegon Athletic Club will open in the old National City Bank building that was part of the former Muskegon Mall. While not quite sugarplums and fairies, Andy has put a log of imagination into the project and it will be sure to impress. Main Street caught up with Andy to get the scoop.
MS: What is the Muskegon Athletic Club? 
AB: The MAC is a downtown style sports restaurant and bar that includes outdoor sidewalk seating, retractable doors that allow the outside in, 5 video walls, 2 Wii stations to be played on 150" screens and a semi private area for business luncheons with an easy access point for Power Point presentations.
MS: Who do you see this venue appealing to?
JR: I designed it with hopes that it would appeal to almost everyone. Even if you don't like watching sports, we still offer a fun menu (see our website) as well as a nice facility.
MS: How did you match the building to your vision for the MAC?
AB: The bank building has a raw, industrial feel and so I incorporated that same feeling on the inside with a splash of color.
MS: Any special food, or drink items that will be unique to the MAC?
AB: Our signature food is MAC n' cheese. We will always have 6 different MAC's as well as a MAC of the Month.
MS: How do you think the MAC fits in/adds to the revitalization taking place downtown Muskegon?
AB:I hope that what we are bringing to the downtown is close to what our city has been hoping for. My educational background is in architecture and urban design. I've been lucky enough to study and visit some cities that have been successful in the revitalization process. Through these experiences and talking with downtown planners, I did my best to incorporate the things that have worked in other cities with what the planners believed downtown Muskegon needed.
MS: Well as a sports fan and a technology lover I am guessing you’ll be able to find me there often. Thanks for stepping out there and making your vision a reality. It’s one thing to have ideas about what would be a hit, it is quite another to actually give it a go. Congratulations!
AB: Thanks.
Check it out on the web
Muskegon Athletic Club website
Downtown Muskegon A&E
posted by Dan & Sarah @ 9:24 AM
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