Popular Savannah restaurant to reopen after devastating fire

SAVANNAH — For diners craving a grass-fed burger or a fan favorite, shrimp and grits from the Public Kitchen and Bar, the wait is almost over.

The popular Savannah restaurant will reopen its doors to customers Monday, seven months after a kitchen fire shut it down.

The Public’s reopening will mark an encouraging moment for the local hospitality industry. Savannah has seen several eateries shuttered, including locally owned favorites like The Atlantic and B’s Cracklin’ BBQ.

Entrepreneurs continue to see Savannah’s hospitality industry as a good investment, said Michael Owens, who leads the Savannah Tourism Leadership Council, a local trade organization focused on restaurants and lodging and tour businesses.

“It’s another sure sign that recovery will come our way and we are ready,” Owens said.

The fire at the Public damaged its dining space in addition to destroying the kitchen. The restaurant had just reopened from a coronavirus-related shutdown when the fire struck, owner Jamie Durrence said.

“There was one good thing about the fire,” Durrence said. “We were able to do major kitchen renovations that will be what we need for the volume [of business] we do.”

Otherwise the changes are few, and the Public’s commitment to using local ingredients definitely will not change, Durrence said.