Iconic Savannah gay bar plans move, shrimpers blessed and more coastal dining news
Club One, the iconic Savannah nightclub featured in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” is moving to a new space after 38 years on Jefferson Street; the 88th annual Brunswick Blessing of the Fleet pays homage to the Georgia shrimp industry; and a popular cafe in the Savannah dining scene is fundraising for a new location.
A new chapter for Club One in Savannah
After nearly four decades at the corner of Jefferson and West Bay streets in downtown Savannah, the storied nightclub Club One is leaving its longtime home and moving to a 12,000-square-foot space most recently occupied by the nightclub Elan Savannah.
Hundreds of supporters turned out April 27 for the final drag show and night of dancing in the sprawling brick building that has been a hub for the LGBTQ community in Savannah and across the region since 1988.
Club One and the performer Lady Chablis gained worldwide fame with the release of John Berendt’s book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” in 1994 and the movie adaptation directed by Clint Eastwood in 1997.
Longtime manager Travis Harold Coles, who was hired by the club’s owners Mark Fountain and Cale Hall in 2004, said preparing to move to a new location has been an emotional roller coaster.
“I spent more time in that building than I spent in any home,” said Coles, 42. “The last time I turn the key on that door is going to be really hard.”
Club One’s building at 1 Jefferson St. has been sold twice since 2019 and then the business was sold in 2025 to Pride Holdings Group, a Florida-based investment group that has acquired numerous properties around the world connected to LGBTQ+ culture.
“Club One is more than just a nightclub — it’s a piece of Savannah’s cultural fabric,” said Michael Barrett, CEO of Pride Holdings Group, in an August 2025 press release. “We’re honored to continue its legacy while enhancing the guest experience for a new generation of locals and visitors alike.”
“We intend to preserve the culture of Club One in the new space,” said Coles, now a regional manager with Pride Holdings Group. He said the club will continue to host the diverse programming that has proved so successful over the years, including drag shows, theater performances, karaoke and comedy.
The food menu at the club’s Bay Cafe will be expanded.
“I’m excited for the building to get the renovation it deserves,” Cole said of the plans for the now-former space, which was home to two gay bars even before Club One.
Club One is expected to reopen sometime this summer in the new location above River Street. Coles said that he hopes all the staff will stay on.
Club One, reopening this summer at 301 Williamson St., Savannah. clubone-online.com
Wild Georgia shrimp take spotlight at Brunswick festival
The 88th annual Brunswick Blessing of the Fleet, a festival honoring the local shrimping industry, will take place at Mary Ross Waterfront Park on May 9.
The event will feature food trucks, vendors and family-friendly activities throughout the day. The band Squirt Gun will perform from noon to 2 p.m.
The boat parade and blessing of the boats will be held from 1-2 p.m.
Georgia legislators have given a different type of blessing to the state’s shrimpers this year with the passage of the so-called “shrimp transparency bill,” which would require restaurants to disclose if dishes are made from imported shrimp. The bill was sent to Gov. Brian Kemp on April 6.
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas already have similar laws, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance.
88th Annual Blessing of the Fleet, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., May 9, Mary Ross Waterfront Park, Bay Street at Gloucester Street, Brunswick, Georgia. Free and open to the public. brunswickblessing.com.
Finches Sandwiches looking for new location
Finches Sandwiches and Sundries in Thunderbolt, which flanks Savannah’s east side, closed in mid-April and has launched a fundraiser to secure a new home.
Business partners Rebecca Gawley and Jamie Pleta founded Finches in a former gas station in late 2020. The outdoor seating and the menu of sandwiches and salads earned the cafe a mention in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Savannah Dining Guide in 2024.
Gawley and Pleta announced on social media in late March that they had not been able to come to terms to purchase the old gas station that the restaurant had been leasing.
“Purchasing a former gas station comes with great risk, as environmental damages are a very costly cleanup, and this property lacks historic documentation and requires further investigation,” they said on Instagram.
After a flood of community support, Gawley and Pleta decided to pursue a new location rather than close permanently. Their GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $18,000.
“When we announced our closure, the outpouring of love genuinely overwhelmed us. Messages, visits, kind words and all the puppy snuggles we could have asked for,” Gawley and Pleta said with the launch of the fundraising campaign. “It reminded us why we do this work, and made one thing very clear: Finches isn’t just ours. It belongs to this community.”
A new location has not yet been announced.
Finches Sandwiches and Sundries, formerly 2600 Mechanics Ave., Thunderbolt, Georgia. finchessandwiches.com
