There’s an old saying out there that if a rumor gets repeated often enough, then it becomes fact. I’m guessing that saying lives in the same kitchen drawer as ‘perception is reality.” You know that drawer. We all have one. Old TV remotes, lighters, key chains and take out menus from restaurants that don’t exist anymore.

The rumor mill has been spinning like a top in lil’ ol’ Sandfly the last couple of weeks, since rumors started to swirl that Castaway’s, one of the most popular restaurants in that neighborhood (and Savannah for that matter. At least with locals) was going to close.

I will share that the first email here to Eat It and Like It World Headquarters raised a few eyebrows, but was largely ignored. Frankly, I chuckled. Emails 2,3 and 4 came in fairly quickly, but I was traveling in Florida. I figured this nonsense would sort itself out by the time I got back to Savannah.

Shortly after I returned, email number 5 arrived from Chip. That meant it was time to make a phone call.

“Absolutely not.” was the response I got to a text from Kirk Blaine, the man that has been a partial owner and Executive Chef at Castaway’s since day one a decade ago.

The subsequent phone call provided the explanation.

When Kirk joined Castaway’s in November of 2015, there were multiple owners of the restaurant. Kirk was one and a gentleman by the name of Jim Cole. Together they created what has become-like we said-a locals favorite.

Mr. Cole passed away in May of this year, leaving The Cole Family to determine how they would move forward. Ultimately, the decision was made to sell their stake in Castaway’s to Kirk Blaine, who as of today, November 1, 2024 becomes 100% owner of Castaway’s Restaurant in Sandfly, complete with a new lease from the owner of the shopping center where it exists.

Those are the nuts and bolts of the situation. Was it an easy process? Probably not, but the part of the story that most pertains to you, the customer, is the fact that Castaway’s is not only not going anywhere, but absolutely nothing is going to change. That last part is the message that Kirk most wanted to get out to their supporters.

“Absolutely nothing we’ve been doing is going to change.” He said. “Not the menu, not the staff, not the decor. Everything will be the same as it has ever been. That’s very important to us.”

Fortunately for us, the story kinda ends right there, doesn’t? No room for anymore rumors and whispers around the neighborhood. Castaway’s is good to go.

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