Washington Square Group, Inc., founded in November 2001, is the vision of Susie Hudson with the goal of creating an entertainment destination for downtown Huntsville, Alabama.

Susie Hudson stated “that the vitality of downtown Huntsville is a key to the economic success of the Huntsville Metropolitan Area, thus, the entertainment destination”.  Susie believes that employers are losing young professionals because of the lack of entertainment choices and the city is losing tax revenues because the young professionals who elect to live in Huntsville are going to other cities on the weekends.  Susie Hudson said, “We needed to bring energy back to downtown.”

As a result of her vision, Washington Square Group, Inc. leased three buildings for the purpose of creating mixed entertainment venues. The first to open was Humphrey’s Bar and Grill, a venue for young professionals featuring casual food and nightly live entertainment. The second was The Chophouse, a fine dining restaurant popular with adults of all ages. These two restaurants are located side by side in downtown Huntsville.

In 2007, Washington Square Group Inc. opened a unique sports bar; Mason’s Pub, on the third floor of The Historic Mason’s Furniture building on Clinton Street and leased the first and second floors to Crossroads, which provides major bands in their six hundred people capacity club. Mason’s is conveniently located next to Humphreys and The Chophouse creating a true entertainment hub in the heart of downtown.

Washington Square Group, Inc. will continue to make Huntsville and its downtown an entertainment destination for the purpose of the recruitment and retention of young professionals, while also continuing its efforts to bring energy to downtown. As a result of Susie Hudson’s efforts to revitalize downtown, not only did she develop several venues, but many more followed her lead thus making downtown the place to be.