The reminders that Savannah is going to look very different in three short years were coming rapid fire throughout the course of the last year. Restaurants close all the time, so that in and of itself isn’t enough to make headlines. However, when you pair a half dozen plus closings with a dozen or so restaurant openings, especially in a city this size, it is now fair to label downtown Savannah as ‘very much in transition.’
The biggest closing headline was made just about a month ago, when we learned that Tubby’s River Street—an icon on Savannah’s waterfront—would be closing after a 25-year run.
That immediately sent shockwaves through the city. How could such a popular restaurant go out of business? That’s just it. It didn’t ‘go out of business.’ It is going to be replaced with something newer and very likely more modern.
It doesn’t take a degree in urban planning to see that Savannah is red-hot as we enter 2024. Apartment buildings are seemingly going up as fast as new hotels. The population density in and around the historic district is ticking northward. Tourist numbers are what they are, they continue to climb, but I’m talking about permanent residents.
Sections of town that have been largely ignored for years, if not longer, are drawing attention. In many cases they are doing more than drawing attention…or did you not notice that 17 story building SCAD just built up against the Talmadge Bridge?
Believe it or not, some people believe there is plenty of room for much, much more.
“There aren’t enough restaurants and hospitality to meet current demand,” is how Jeff Notrica puts it.
Notrica is the president of Inman Park Properties, Inc. He has lived in Savannah for nearly 20 years and has been doing business here for about 30 years. He’s seen businesses come and go. He’s seen people roll into town with great ideas and some not-so-great ideas. In a nutshell, he’s pretty much seen it all around here, but he’d be the first to tell you he’s never seen anything like this.
“We are getting better quality restauranteurs than we’ve ever seen,” he says.
All of those apartment buildings we see going up? Notrica believes there is room for much more including hotels.
“We have a ton of room for more hotels,” he says. “Any hotel downtown could run you $400 a night. Don’t tell me we are full. We need it down under $200 a night.”
It is fair to say that the demand for space in this city is higher than it has been at any time since General Ogelthorpe pulled up on the bluff near the Hyatt. When one business closes, it is not long before someone else is moving in believing they can be better than the guy or gal before them. In some cases, we’ve heard of new leases being signed on a space the same day the restaurant before them closed.
“For every 10 restaurants that close in Savannah, there are 50 people looking for space to open a restaurant.” Notrica says. “I’ve been getting phone calls practically every single day for the last two years or so.”
Demand is so high that there are people signing leases and sitting on empty spaces for months before doing anything with them. Everyone wants to be here.
“Let’s start with the basics,” Notrica says. “It’s the charm and beauty of the city. The hospitality. It’s near the water. There’s Georgia Ports and the Hyundai Plant. Plus, there are a hundred other companies because of the plant. It’s the battery supply company, the door panel makers, the wheel supplier.”
Those dynamics scare a lot of people in Savannah. The biggest fear is that our precious section of Georgia is going to devolve into a city full of big box corporate stores, and eateries. It’s a complaint you hear across the country. A Chipotle on every corner? No thanks.
Notrica is not convinced we will see that here. “Downtown Savannah? No,” he says. “In the areas surrounding the city? There is a lot of room for growth.”
It’s happening. Have you been to Pooler lately?
Frederika Fekete and her husband Michael own Java Burrito Company on Broughton Street. They moved to Savannah from Hilton Head Island nearly two years ago and love everything about what downtown has to offer. They just got here, yes, but she has been very mindful and vocal about what she would like to see in and around downtown Savannah. Her vision for the next five to ten years includes downtown looking similar to what you would see in a city of similar size in Europe.
“I would like to see some streets closed off to traffic,” she says. “I love walking in this city. I think big, too.”
“What if we closed Bull Street to all traffic from Bay Street all the way to Forsyth Park?” she adds.
Notrica doesn’t disagree…“I’d like to see Congress Street from MLK to Whitaker closed at 5pm on Fridays and stay closed, maybe, until 5pm on Sundays.”
It should be stated that these ideas haven’t moved an inch beyond the ‘what if’ phase. But the point here is that not everyone who moves here and/or owns a business is looking to disrupt what Savannah is and has been for decades. There is such a thing as smart growth and there are more than a few restaurant owners downtown very interested in protecting it from becoming any town USA.
“The future of Savannah is incredible. The national attention we are getting is great,” Notrica says. “Hutchinson Island is nothing short of incredible. We might see residences there that rival The Landings.”
The beauty of it is, from a culinary standpoint at any rate, is that yes, some chain restaurants are headed this way and they very much will dot the landscape. We know of a couple already. But the beauty is that there are far more independent owners and chefs looking to be a part of the growth in Savannah. Examples of that are Brochu’s Family Tradition, Das Box and Late Air.
Don’t know about them yet? Look them up. They are a nice snapshot of Savannah’s future.
