Kingsport Spirit

The City of Kingsport is going through a major generational shift. Many still think of Kingsport as a retirement city, but now there are more citizens under 40 than over 40. This means there are more Millennials and Gen Z living in Kingsport than Boomers and Gen X. Although it’s a group I revere, the 80+ population is now the smallest demographic slice in our city, but they leave some mighty big shoes to fill.

Keep this generational shift in mind when you see the city investing in parks, playgrounds, ballfields, schools, festivals, concerts, and downtown infrastructure. It’s also the reason why reinvesting in Downtown Kingsport is critically important.

For most of my career, from the mid-80s to the early 2000s, reinvesting downtown was driven largely by sentiment. Not entirely, but many conversations revolved around memories of cruising Broad Street or the stores lost to the mall in the late 1970s. There was always a quest for anchor tenants to replace JCPenney, Parks-Belk, and Miller’s department stores. Those replacements simply don’t exist.

Now, Downtown Kingsport has transformed into the largest concentration of small businesses in our city—a living, breathing economic incubator full of diverse and independent interests. Parking has once again become a challenge, but I see that as a sign of progress because I remember when it wasn’t. It means people want to be downtown, shop downtown, and live downtown!

Millennials and Gen Z generally prefer downtown areas with unique, local businesses over strip malls filled with big franchises because they value authenticity, community, and social experiences. They appreciate the personal touch of local coffee shops, bookstores, and boutiques, which feel more genuine than uniform chain stores. Downtown offers that vibrant community vibe, walkability, and aesthetically pleasing, historic, or artsy atmosphere, making it ideal for socializing and cultural experiences. Additionally, they tend to support small businesses and enjoy unique dining and nightlife options. While they may visit strip malls for essentials, they are likely to spend their leisure time and money downtown, where the environment aligns with their values and lifestyle.

In fact, many of them are opening these unique, local businesses. I recently attended the soft opening of The Golden Cone, a new ice cream shop inside Chef’s Pizzeria. I found myself chatting with its Gen Z owners, Josh and Lauren McCartt, who were both members of the Dobyns-Bennett Marching Band just a few short years ago. They could’ve chosen anywhere, but they chose Kingsport. I was surrounded by other downtown investors and caught up with them about the buildings they’ve bought, renovated, and sold. I even had the opportunity to get a brief glimpse of their future plans. Hearing their dreams for the town I love so much makes my heart swell. Some of the folks I still think of as young now have a good 20 years under their belt investing in Kingsport.

I recently attended a Downtown Kingsport meeting and heard about several other businesses that have opened lately, like The Original Hot Dog Hut, Sports Mill, Wagyu Dogs, Boops & Beans Cat Café, Ole Crow Tavern, Uptown Cheesesteak, Galaxy Pizza & Arcade, Sneaks & Geeks—and that’s just within the past month! Check out their social media pages—the sheer amount of new activity will make your head spin!

Each local business has a story being written right here in Kingsport, not in some faraway corporate office.

It may be anecdotal, but I’m noticing a trend where one spouse works a traditional job in healthcare, education, or manufacturing, while the other is an entrepreneur, investor, or realtor. My generation and older often looked for someone to hire them, while younger generations seem to say, “Fine, I’ll do it myself.” I may now be in the minority population, but I’m here for it!

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell, he says, “A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.” In other words, your legacy is truly achieved if it continues after you’re gone.

The same can be said for communities. We’re lucky to have this new generation stepping up and investing in such a meaningful way.

Kingsport is definitely in good hands.