This article was updated at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 7, to correct an event name. It should’ve read Sip and Sacks.

VALDOSTA – A new North Ashley Street bar and restaurant seeks to add to the nightlife scene in a way that offers a sultry vibe.

Sip Jazz and Blues Bar, formerly Sip Daiquiri Bar and Grill, caters to an older crowd providing dishes from a chef with 15 years of experience and live music from local acts.

Fifteen televisions stream sporting events and there is a full bar. The restaurant features an outdoor patio and overflow room. 

Charles Murphy, owner, said the name Sip speaks to the venue’s mission, which is to create a “warm cozy” atmosphere for a “mature audience.” Tonia Smith, his mother-in-law, is the general manager.

“We are not a heavy drinking establishment where you come to get plastered but instead somewhere you come after work for happy hour (to) enjoy the food, drinks, music and take it on into the house for the evening,” he said.

Sip hosted its grand opening on Thanksgiving Day 2020. The community has been positively receptive, Murphy said, adding customers travel from surrounding Georgia areas and parts of Florida.

Murphy has a longstanding history of owning restaurants, nightclubs and bars in Atlanta, Chicago and Mississippi that began in the early 1990s.

Hoping to franchise the venue, he selected Valdosta as Sip’s first site due to family members in town.

“I chose Valdosta because it’s a hub city and feeds several surrounding cities,” he said. “It was the perfect location to explore the concept of adding a South Georgia city to the traveling blues circuit.”

Live performances at Sip held on Fridays and Saturdays reflect jazz, country and related genres. Once the pandemic is over, Murphy said more days will be added.

On Thursdays, local radio personalities host karaoke. Sundays are for Sip and Sacks, an event that includes the Waycross-based Sack Daddy Seafood. Sack Daddy is a restaurant owned by Murphy’s family.

In the future, Wednesdays will be dedicated to military personnel while first-responders and other public servants receive daily specials.

Sundays will expand during March to consist of Sunday Gospel Brunch for customers to eat and listen to music after church.

“We are going into the community to invite our audience into Sip where we can give them a special experience,” Murphy said.

He desires to partner with local businesses and organizations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines relating to COVID-19 are followed, Murphy said.

A fee of $10 is charged to enter Sip for a three-hour concert.

Happy hour is 5-8 p.m. daily.

Hours of operation: 5-10 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday, 5-9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 5-11 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday.

More information: 2905 N. Ashley St., Sip Jazz & Blues Bar on Facebook, @SipJazzBar on Instagram, (888) 753-6810. The website, sipofvaldosta.com, is currently under construction.