There is no good time for a global pandemic, but could there be any time that is worse than Spring time in Savannah?
Any other time, Savannah’s famous St. Patrick’s celebration kicks off a flurry of events for the city. Downtown is abuzz with SCAD students who are eager to enjoy the beautiful weather while finishing up their quarter, and business is booming while locals and tourists take in the gorgeous architecture framed by colorful azalea blooms.
Except this year, when all of that came to a screeching halt.
Green season (in more ways than one) was lost in Savannah this year. The parties and party goers dissipated quickly during the ‘ramp up’ mid-March. Area businesses were forced to shut down with very few answers as to how long the shut down would last.
The silence at times was deafening.
It’s been exciting for me personally to spend a bit of time downtown, watching the restaurants re-open slowly and cautiously, accommodating the new physical distancing requirements and adapting their processes and menus to appeal to customers while keeping everyone’s safety in mind.
I’ve been aware of Spudnik since they were in their opening stage in 2013, but this was my first visit, meeting with owner Andrew Wanamaker recently to have a conversation about the business and how he is handling our current situation.
As to be expected, business is slow. You can’t really complain there, it is for everyone.
Adding insult to injury for Andrew is the fact that about 2 weeks before Spudnik was set to re-open, the city began work on Broughton Street, including blocking off the corridor where Spudnik is located. While the work will incorporate brick sidewalks and parking spaces, and make the aesthetic more pleasing, it has reduced the visibility of the restaurant for the time being. Wanamaker plans to offer curbside pickup, which will no doubt bring in more customers, once the work is complete. But for now, getting to Andrews baked potato shop is a bit of a challenge.
Wanamaker closed Spudnik on March 19, right after St. Patrick’s Day. He says that sales were pretty normal until the day after St. Patrick’s Day, and then-like everyone elses-they disappeared. Dropped off of the table.
Prior to the shutdown, his business consisted of about half take out and half dine-in, with SCAD students comprising a large percentage of the usual patrons. The decision to shut down altogether including take out was made due to the lack of traffic downtown. Left with few options, Andrew decided to donate bags of remaining food to the homeless and also gave them dog and cat food for their pets, a practice that has since continued.
Almost 2 months later, Spudnik re-opened on May 8 to about a third of the business that normally would have been expected. Andrew waited a few weeks after Georgia Governor Brian Kemp allowed restaurants open in order to allow supplies to arrive and employees to be scheduled and become accustomed to the new practices.
The dining room has re-opened, although one booth has been closed to accommodate the physical distancing requirements. Fortunately, this is only a slight reduction from normal, and since the current business now is all take out it has not had a negative effect on sales.
Wanamaker, a native of Connecticut, opened Spudnik in 2013 after graduating with a degree in architecture from SCAD. Having chosen branding for most of his studio projects while in school he decided in his final year of school that he was not interested in going into an architecture practice. Why potatoes?
“Because no one else was doing it.” Wanamaker was inspired by a similar concept in New Jersey but has improved upon the idea through the years based on his own trial and error. The concept has been especially popular with students.
Potatoes are essentially “comfort food,” and right now, who isn’t looking for that? All potatoes are twice-baked; various blends are mixed with the baked potato filling, baked again and then topped with the customers’ preferred toppings. The BBQ Porktato has been a customer favorite since day one, but there are also plenty of meatless/vegetarian options, and customers can even mix and match ingredients to suit individual tastes.
Andrew admits having no formal restaurant training. He’s just relied on his love of processes to create a menu and offerings that his clientele has come to enjoy, while making both the preparation and ordering process as easy as possible.
Much of the design of the logos and interior decor was designed by Wanamaker himself. He created the logo and fabricated the floors which are inlaid pennies. He has especially enjoyed being able to choose and decide every aspect of the aesthetic for the restaurant. “The strongest brands do one thing very well and do them first”.
The question on everyone’s mind is now what? What will happen going forward?
Having a business model that lends itself well to takeout has turned out to be advantageous for Spudnik. While most restaurants can not remain profitable at roughly 30% of their capacity, Spudnik has only slightly reduced theirs, for a clientele that was never wholly dependent on a dining space anyway.
Add to that, a low number of employees required for operations also works to their advantage.
“Not resting on your laurels, figuring out how to advertise and change your business model to fit the new reality” says Wanamaker, when asked how to restaurants can stay afloat this Summer.
Even so, he says that the operation now is so completely different from when they first opened and they are very much a better restaurant. No doubt that his quest for constant improvement will lead to a successful adaptation now.
A local alternative to fast-food chains, with lots of options offers comfort in a bowl, large enough for an entire meal.
Though access on Broughton Street is cut off for the time being, a short half-block walk from either Montgomery Street or MLK Jr Blvd will get you there no problem, so you can Eat It and Like It.
Spudnik
416 West Broughton Street
Savannah, GA 31401
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