New seafood restaurant and gaming complex coming to downtown High Point

Construction was proceeding on a mixed-use project at 211 N. Lindsay St. in downtown High Point that will add a seafood-focused restaurant and an entertainment complex when it opens in summer 2026. The development sits in the city’s catalyst district and is pitched as part of ongoing downtown revitalization efforts aimed at increasing foot traffic and evening activity.

The restaurant, to be called Smitty and Pearl’s, will emphasize seafood and include an oyster bar. Adjoining the restaurant will be an entertainment venue built around modern gaming technology: a traditional arcade, a virtual reality arena and duckpin bowling lanes. Together, the two components aim to combine dine-in and experiential offerings that keep customers in the downtown core longer than single-use businesses typically do.

For residents and local businesses, the immediate effect will be visible on Lindsay Street. Construction activity has restarted the block’s momentum, and the new tenants are likely to extend peak hours into evenings and weekends. That shift tends to increase nearby restaurant and retail sales, broaden the local tax base and support hospitality employment in both service and operations roles. The entertainment elements also target family and young-adult audiences, creating a diversified customer mix beyond lunch-hour office trade.

This project arrives amid a broader trend toward mixed-use redevelopment in mid-sized cities: combining dining, entertainment and retail in walkable districts has been a common strategy to revive downtown commercial corridors. For High Point, which has prioritized catalyst projects in recent years, the site at 211 N. Lindsay St. will be a test of that model’s local appeal. If successful, it can spur complementary investments — from new storefronts to nightlife options — and reinforce downtown as a destination, not just a workplace center.

City planners and economic development officials will be watching how the development affects parking, pedestrian flows and transit needs during peak nights and weekend events. Business owners on adjacent blocks should prepare for variable demand patterns and consider extended hours or programming that captures spillover customers from the new venue.

The takeaway? Expect a livelier Lindsay Street by summer 2026. Our two cents? Try it out when it opens, support neighboring small businesses while downtown activity increases, and be ready for busier evenings that could change how we use downtown High Point.