The folks behind Common Thread and Strange Bird, in addition to FARM Bluffton, are continuing to expand their restaurant presence throughout Savannah.
The restaurant group’s co-owner, Ryan Williamson, recently acquired the building formerly occupied by Back in the Day Bakery, under FARM-Starland Properties LLC, according to public records. Williamson is seeking to establish a restaurant with alcohol sales at the building at 2401 Bull St. in the Thomas Square neighborhood (also branded as the Starland District), according to plans submitted late last month.
The plans come after Back in the Day’s Cheryl and Griffith Day shut their popular bakery’s doors for good on Feb. 14 after 22 years of serving up renown biscuits and other baked goods that garnered national acclaim.
Williamson’s group established Common Thread after renovating the late-19th Century Victorian house at 122 East 37th for use as a restaurant in 2020 to 2021.
The group’s Savannah restaurant came about five years after Williamson opened Farm Bluffton, a regionally-sourced, farm-to-table restaurant, with Executive Chef Brandon Carter.
Last year, Williamson and his partners opened Strange Bird at the SCAD owned diner at 1220 Barnard St.
Williamson’s company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tomochichi Courthouse renovations now expected to continue into 2026
The U.S. General Services Administration recently announced that the renovation of downtown’s Tomochichi Courthouse will continue until at least the summer of 2026, and likely not be occupied until later that year or early 2027.
The delayed completion is a result of a partial floor collapse that occurred during the project last April, according to the GSA’s update.
“GSA continues to prioritize the safety of those working on the site as well as nearby businesses and residences, ” the GSA stated. “We recognize the importance of this historic building to the community and we look forward to completing the project.”
The renovation project is meant to modernize the historic building to meet the U.S. judiciary’s current and long-term needs for security, accessibility and operational efficiency, according to the GSA. Construction, which began in September 2021, was halted last April following the partial collapse of the third floor in one section of the building. Work then resumed in late October.
Forsyth Park condo complex renovations planned
The historic condominium building at 106 West Gwinnett St. will be getting some much needed TLC under a plan scheduled to go before the Historic District Board of Review on March 13.
Constructed in about 1920, the six-story building originally opened as the Forsyth Apartment Hotel with fully furnished rooms that offered “all the housekeeping joys without the cares,” according to the board’s staff report and a brochure from the time.
Staff is recommending the board approved the renovations, which are primarily needed to address water infiltration issues.
This article appears in Connect Savannah I March 2024.
