Halcyon’s Barbie Bonanza

Green-and-khaki clad hikers and bikers on the Big Creek Greenway in Forsyth, Ga., are regular customers at the Halcyon mixed-use center located on the trailhead. But in the month since Barbie opened at Halcyon’s CMX Cinebistro, pink has been the dominant color on its pathways.

“Ticket sales at the theater went up 110% the first weekend the movie came out and foot traffic and sales throughout the center went up 10% and remained above average for most of the month,” said Halcyon’s marketing manager Susan Grunwald. “Groups of 10 to 12 women, all dressed up in pink, covered the property and brought lots of business to our bars and restaurants both before and after seeing the movie.”

Prior to the film’s debut, Grunwald’s team created an Instagram video called “C’mon Barbie, let’s go to Halcyon” that featured “Stereotypical Barbie” (the Barbie played by actress Margot Robbie) and a friend tooling around the center in a pink Corvette. The pair ate burgers at a pink picnic bench at the Cherry Street restaurant, sampled pink purses at the Nina + Leigh boutique, stopped by the Lush Nail Bar for manicures, and got in the pink at The Forum Athletic Club.

“Twenty-five thousand people watched the video and commented on it,” Grunwald said. “Hot pink became the color of the season. Pink cocktails were in all the bars and restaurants. We took picture after picture of pink-clad groups of women sitting in our restaurants.”

Restaurants rule at the 135-acre center developed by RocaPoint Partners and The Georgetown Company. Its 23 food-and-beverage tenants include the Cattle Shed Wine & Steak Bar, CT Cantina Tanqueria, Gu’s Dumplings, Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern, Iron Age Korean Steak House, Ocean & Acre, and Pita Mediterranean Street Food.