Give Downtown a Shot: Unwind on Main
Anthony Anderson has never been one to sit back and wait for change.
“I've never been one of those individuals to watch things happen,” Anthony says. “I like to make things happen.”
A self-described “busy body,” Anthony found himself feeling the weight of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. As someone who had always been busy, active, outgoing, and engaged in making things happen, he wondered how the isolation of lockdown was impacting those around him in the same ways. And in the midst of that challenging season, Anthony actually began wondering how he could bring a sense of intimacy, fun, and togetherness back to his world.
“The concept of Unwind on Main was really COVID-driven,” Anthony says. Unwind on Main, one of High Point’s new downtown spots, first opened its doors in April 2021, fueled by Anthony’s desire to give the community a chance to unwind – together.
“It’s a place where you can go, where you don’t have to bring yourself up, but you can actually go to take in some live entertainment and just kick back, relax, grab a bite to eat and get a drink,” Anthony explains.
Unwind on Main, located on the corner of Main Street and M.L.K. Jr. Dr., isn’t a huge bar with a huge staff. Anthony, his mom, and longtime friend and bartender, Jasmine, are the primary staff members, and they are family more than employees or business partners.
“I didn’t want to come in with this large footprint,” Anthony explains. “I wanted something small, something intimate. I wanted to create that vibe, which is why we named it ‘Unwind.’”
In addition to their indoor space, Unwind on Main offers outdoor seating, downtown city views, and close proximity to Congdon Yards, Truist Point, and the upcoming food hall, Stock+Grain Assembly. From the full bar to the small plates, to the dessert menu, to the live music acts that Anthony brings in every weekend, Unwind lives up to its name.
“Regardless of what you're dealing with, what you're going through, or how you feel that day, if you walk through these doors, I'm going make you feel differently,” Anthony says. "We’re going to change your mood.” He makes it a point to be in the front of the house, speaking with customers, engaging them in conversations, all to foster that sense of community. The same sense of community that Anthony and his team cultivate for their customers, he has felt personally from the business community in our city.
By the time he opened his doors in April last year, Anthony had already felt an outpouring of support – both from city organizations, the City of High Point, and other entrepreneurs. Pam Hubay, owner of Plank Street Tavern, Miro Buzov, owner of Penny Path Café, Keith Ray owner of George’s Pizza, Alex Moore, co-founder at Stratagon, all offered support, advice, and camaraderie to Anthony as he moved into his spot. Others, like Detective R. Watts of the High Point Police Department supported from a city capacity as Anthony worked to obtain all the complex permits surrounding an ABC license.
“We are all here in the community. We all have our challenges, but there's opportunities as well,” Anthony explains. "I think everybody's on the same boat in terms of trying to cash in on those opportunities.”
While Unwind is a fairly new addition to High Point’s landscape, Anthony has had his eye on the location for quite some time, seeing that High Point is ripe for opportunities. A Thomasville native with a longtime love for the neighboring city of High Point, Anthony felt that the city had a great opportunity – particularly when it comes to our growing young professional community – to offer a new kind of gathering spot.
“When you talk about young professionals, they want things to do. They don't want to just go to work and go home,” he explains. “Growing up in Thomasville, that's something we never had.”
Now, Anthony says it's impossible not to drive down the streets of High Point and see the potential. Particularly when it comes to downtown, Unwind is working hard alongside other businesses to bring a sense of life back to the streets.
“I want to challenge us all to continue to drive traffic downtown and create that foot traffic,” Anthony says. “That’s what it’s going to need for staying power... It’s more opportunities. We want those feet walking through those doors.”
Anthony says now he is ready for the people of the Triad to come give them a shot.
“Our doors are open,” he says. “I don’t think there’s a better place in the city than here.”
Discover our High Points,
The HPD Team
Photography by Anna Danielle Photography