If you came here for a life changing review on a new spot in Savannah for Bulgogi or Bibimbap, you are likely to be underwhelmed. The food I enjoyed during a recent lunch at Downtown Savannah’s newest Korean eatery is good. I think you will enjoy it, but the reason why it exists in the first place is of equal import. Particularly if you live in or around the Greater Savannah area.

David Chen is Managing Partner for the E-Tang group of restaurants across the region. If you are scoring at home, they now have 5. The original location in Downtown Savannah at Ogelthorpe and Price streets (still their best eats), a location on Hilton Head Island, another in Bluffton/Oaktie. There’s another in Pooler and 2 more back here downtown Savannah. E-Tang Dim Sum is at 10 Whitaker Street, E-Tang Hot Pot was at 41 Whitaker…yes, 2 blocks down from the Dim Sum shop.

That’s a lot of E-Tang, ain’t it? They are realizing that now, but this is only part of the issue the group has run in to.

David called me to lunch last week, not only to tell me about their Korean ‘pivot’ and what they’ve done for it, but also to share some thoughts on what, by most accounts, can be labeled a brutal summer for businesses in the area. It has been exasperatingly slow around town and he wasn’t really sure what to make of it all.

I told him he isn’t alone. I shared that I have been hearing for weeks now about how quiet (by comparison to the last couple of years, of course) it has been not only here in Savannah, but also on Hilton Head Island and anywhere in between.

“I know. I ask my neighbors” he said “Everyone has been very slow.”

“Last Summer, Peacock Lounge here next door always had a line to get in at night. This year nothing.” he says.

I can sense the frustration. How could there not be any? They opened this particular restaurant in November of 2024 on the heels of two very busy summers-again by comparison. Summer 2025 was so soft, it forced them to bring in a new chef who specializes in Korean cuisine and flip the entire concept. There may be roughly 40 Korean restaurants in Pooler (true) but downtown Savannah didn’t have anything besides the high-end Madame Butterfly. Casual Korean eats didn’t exist downtown until now.

They are hoping it helps. But we can’t ignore how much competition there is for Asian eats downtown these days. Which begs the question that had to be asked:

Why on earth would anyone open three similar concepts within a mile of each other in a space as concentrated as Savannah’s Historic District? It’s less than a mile from one to the other with the third in between them. It’s not like they own the buildings. They are all paying rent. I mean, I kind of get it. Treylor Park has their flagship on Bay Street and Hitch on Liberty Street a handful of blocks away, but a third space in between would make little to no sense. Their Pizza Party in the Victorian District is a totally different ball of wax.

“We saw wait times for ramen at other places. People were waiting 1 hour.” David says, clearly believing there was enough demand.

And there may have been, during a ‘normal’ summer. But all it has taken now is one crazy summer (their first) to make them re-evaluate the entire situation. David is convinced they measured twice before cutting once. But still….

“Summer 2023 was busy.” he says. “Summer 2024? Busy too.”

“I opened in November and now Summer 2025 is slow.”

I left lunch that day after promising David I would share his story. Yes, there is new Korean food at 41 Whitaker. Cool. But in my book, the bigger story here is the one that I am most certain almost every other small business owner in the region is feeling right now. For a lot of them, Summer 2025 was a budget buster, as in revenue they counted on that they will never recover. So it goes sometimes, for all of us.

Still, there is no gloom and doom here. I think we know the crowds will return. Savannah Jazz Festival this month and the Film Festival-plus Halloween-next month is always good to cure what ails ya’.

But I think its important to let people who care about the state of the food scene know…it’s been soft out there for a minute this year. Your favorite restaurant-or maybe one you haven’t tried yet-would love to see you.

Oh, and the Bulgogi was outstanding. I’m going back for some more this weekend.

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