The downtown square is packed on First Friday. The annual festival brought in a record number of tourists. New businesses keep opening.

By every metric, downtown is thriving. But somehow... half of the businesses close within 18 months?

Most small Tennessee towns are focused on getting people downtown, but Fayetteville Main Street stopped asking "How do we get more people downtown?" and started asking "How do we help the businesses that are here actually survive?"

The answer wasn't more festivals. It was controversial sidewalks, AI-powered foot traffic data, and creating a physical space for businesses to get the support they need.

In this episode, I visit Fayetteville to see what they're doing differently, then break down the framework so you can apply it to your town or business.

(00:00) - Why We're Heading to Fayetteville First

(02:33) - Meet Aimee Byrd - the Executive Director of Fayetteville Main Street

(05:25) - The Tourism Tax Strategy Nobody Talks About

(06:58) - Anyone Can Open a Business. That's Actually the Problem.

(08:23) - From 650 Square Feet to a Small Business Farm System

(11:47) - The Data That Changed Everything

(16:33) - "We're Not Going After Chain Restaurants Anymore"

(22:47) - Why Local Dollars Keep Your Property Taxes Down

(29:40) - The Sidewalk Fight That Proved 46% Growth

(33:00) - The Four Pillars Every Downtown Needs

(40:48) - $330 Million Leaving Lincoln County Every Year

(43:12) - The Real Reason Your Taxes Keep Going Up

(47:18) - Where Tennessee's Next 20 Years of Growth Is Coming From

(52:30) - What Actually Replaced the Anchor Store Everyone Misses

(54:55) - Building a Town Your Kids Come Back To

(57:33) - The Studio Debrief: What Makes Fayetteville's Approach Different

Have a Tennessee story worth mapping out? Reach out at archabouttn.com