Restless in Macon: Singles trade apps for in-person connections

Before the dawn of online matchmaking and AI-assisted dating services, the dating scene wasn’t always so complex.

After all, Harry didn’t meet Sally on Tinder. 

Some of today’s eligible singles are fed up with their technology-saturated love lives and are trading dating apps for more meaningful, in-person connections — something the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce has tapped into as a means of workforce retention.

“One of the main reasons that people move away is because they can’t meet a match,” said Rebekah Hollar, the chamber’s programs and marketing manager.

Roughly 45% of men and 42% of women in Macon-Bibb County have never been married, according to U.S. Census data.

The chamber’s quarterly “Mingle with Singles” event series — part of its Macon Area Connections initiative — encourages residents to plant deeper “roots” within the community, Hollar said.

It’s a solution to a universal problem: No one wants to live and work in a lonely city.

Despite its name, the events aren’t just for single people. Hollar assures participants that the in-person meet-ups are meant to foster all types of connection. Attendees wear a wristband with a corresponding color to signify their intentions and relationship status:

— Red means taken but ready to meet friends and be a wingman for their friends.

— Pink means single and attracted to women.

— Blue means single and attracted to men.

— Yellow means “Ask me about it!”

Since it began in 2024, Mingle with Singles has far surpassed participation numbers in the chamber’s more traditional networking events for young professionals, Hollar said.

The series of events, hosted at various local venues, garners an average of nearly 50 people per gathering and is often marketed toward new hires at local companies and college students, she noted. 

Hollar said she mostly sees participants under 40 — proof that, while the movies “When Harry Met Sally” and “Sleepless in Seattle” captured a generation of hopeless romantics, a new generation has found itself “Restless in Macon.” 

And for many, dating apps just aren’t cutting it.

“You can crunch all of the numbers you want to get whatever statistical chance that you have with somebody else,” said Hannah F., a 26-year-old local attorney whose last name is being withheld at her request. “But … you have to know who they are, and that’s not something that can be reduced down to numbers or statistics or to a recommended match that pops up.”

A Macon resident since 2022 when she began pursuing her law degree at Mercer University, Hannah attended a chamber singles event at Hotel Forty Five last year.

“It was nice to meet people face to face that were actively looking for something,” she said.

As a Florida native and recent college graduate, Hannah said meeting people has become increasingly intimidating, but Mingle with Singles took the edge off the awkwardness of meeting someone new.

“It was different for me because I’ve grown up with technology,” she said.

In person, “it’s not like you can swipe left and forget about someone,” Hannah said.

These local networking events can be “nerve-wracking” and require a “leap of faith,” she said, but she tries to go with the flow and avoid overthinking.

“It’s downtown, to a good bar, where there’s something structured,” Hannah said. “You don’t have to worry like a first date where you look at somebody and go, ‘So, the weather was nice today.’”

Hannah said she plans to attend the next Mingle with Singles event, which is Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at The Rose Room in downtown Macon.

Rose Room bartender Ezelious Adams said he still witnesses modern-day charming first encounters and has even seen people return to the bar with someone they met there previously. As a bartender, he sometimes helps break the ice between two individuals or ensures both parties are comfortable.

At The Rose Room in particular, the vibe is more laid back, which he said gives customers more confidence.

“Human interaction is something we all strive toward,” he said. “The bar is just a more relaxed environment that allows that to flourish.”

The event costs $20 to attend, and advance registration is requested but not required. To register in advance, visit the chamber of commerce’s website at maconchamber.com.