Full disclosure: I danced around this story for a minute trying to figure out exactly how I would share the news. I mean, the reality is, there is no food involved. I’m not sharing any new eats here. I’m not giving you a heads up on a must try this or that. No, in this instance I’m helping a local business owner to spread the news about a space in town that is likely to become far more popular than a lot of people will initially want to admit to.
Marguerite Seckman is that business owner. She owns a few spots in the Starland District. Her first was Superbloom, a beautiful space on DeSoto Avenue in Starland featuring gifts, drinks and some munchies. Her latest reveal is around the corner on 41st Street. 101 West 41st to be exact. It’s an artists collective, if you will, with an adjacent outdoor space.
The outdoor space designed to be a gathering space for anyone looking very simply for a place to sit or a ray of sunshine. What makes it different is that while it is an alcohol free zone, she does offer a small selection of THC infused drinks. Below is my conversation with Marguerite. We discuss her space and what she is seeing in Savannah’s ‘funkiest’ neighborhood. It has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Jesse: How would you best describe, not just this, we’ll get to this, but the whole thing? The whole place.
Marguerite Seckman: It is almost like a artist’s market, but permanent, so every room is a different. We (individual artists) all operate independently of each other. But my vision for this space was to make it easier for small businesses to take the leap from doing markets and pop ups to actually opening a brick and mortar. And it’s easier when you can share a space and help each other out and split the bills versus, you know, taking on all that responsibility at one time. We’ve been here for a year.
JB: When did you say ‘let me zag when everyone else is zigging’…and do a hemp garden?
MS: About October was when it finalized it because I did a fall festival out here and just seeing people hang out, they were carving pumpkins and people were just enjoying the sunshine. And I knew I wanted to create a space where people could just spend a whole day out here and just enjoy being in grass and outdoors. You know, like how they do it Forsyth, but here you’re close to a bathroom. You can go run and grab food or enjoy a beverage and make it a little bit more accessible.
JB: The only cooked food in there were the hot dogs, right?
MS: Yes. And we do have some stuff in the fridge, like, you know, charcuterie. Little things and stuff.
JB: Why THC?
MS: Because so we’ve been selling THC products at Super Bloom and here. Super Bloom for longer here for a year. And I also added on vapes and gummies. So I have a lot of different THC products in there and they’ve been selling very well. And because of my business Feté, where I travel and sell cocktail infusions, I meet with a lot of people who are sober and they love the product, but they can’t participate. So just being around so many different people who are sober or “Cali Sober.”
Jesse Blanco: Cali Sober? That’s a thing?
MS: That’s a thing. Cali Sober. I wanted to offer a space where people can still be in a fun social vibrant area but without the alcohol culture associated with it.
JB: It’s a movement, I know it is. That’s part of why I’m here. I get it. Those three cans that I see up there are those THC beverages?
MS: Two of them are. One is a non-alcoholic beer. So we have non-alcoholic beer and wine. You can enjoy it like that or you can add THC to it.
JB: Has it been an instant hit? This whole thing? I don’t like the term safe space, but a place for non-alcoholic drinkers?
MS: Yes. Yes. We had a great grand opening this weekend. And, you know, the more we can let people know that this exists, because I see it on Facebook all the time. People asking, where can I get a mocktail? Where can I get a THC drink? Where can I hang out that’s not a bar. And so just keep spreading the word. We’re brand new.
JB: What do people tell you is the biggest attraction to this being non-alcohol? I’m sure you talked to people before you jumped in. What is the main attraction for that crowd?
MS: I even had people come back on Sunday because they said they just want to be able to sit out here, enjoy music and relax with their friends. And they said it was approachable. It was cozy. It was just people were lying down and sunning and it’s just really there’s no place like that in Savannah. You know, there’s there’s I love Starland Yard, I was there last night, but no one can lie in the grass there. Right. So there’s no place that exists in Savannah like this.
JB: Especially in the middle of the city. Drink It and Like It!
MS: Exactly.
JB: This is certainly unique. It’s what I love to do. You’ve been ahead of the curve for a hot minute. What year did you open Superbloom?
MS: 2019.
JB: And then the world ended.
MS: I know. We were open six months before COVID hit and then I opened Starland Strange January of 2020. So we were open two months before COVID hit at Starland Strange.
JB: What is your opinion of what has become of this neighborhood? How have you seen it evolve in five very short years?
MS: I feel like I’m hesitant to answer this question because it can upset people. Yes, there have been changes to the neighborhood that I think don’t necessarily align with the neighborhood. But I also think there are people who are very much trying to maintain the soul and integrity of the neighborhood, of keeping it a unique place, different from downtown, artsy, eclectic, funky.
You know, there is character and soul here that I do think that other parts of Savannah has lost. And I hope we can keep it. But there is development happening all around us and that doesn’t always mean bad. It’s just, I hope the right people are getting involved.
JB: You talk to people in this neighborhood every day. How strong is the sentiment to fight to keep the funk?
A lot of the business owners that I speak with on a daily basis want to keep the neighborhood as unique and quirky as it is. And we see more and more tourists coming here. They want this. They say, this is what I was looking for. You know, I walked on River Street for a day. I want to go somewhere else.
JB: Kinda like Asheville. There is downtown, but then you can do this.
MS: Right, you can do the River Arts. Well, it’s not there anymore. For example, Charleston. Charleston doesn’t have a neighborhood like this. And a lot of people come here from Charleston and they love it. They said they wish Charleston had a neighborhood like this. And I do think it’s important that, you know, we do keep it affordable. So people who are small business owners or truly live here versus Airbnbs and stuff. Which again, I am in support. You know, it’s just everything in moderation.
JB: I get it. My personal opinion is, you know, there’s going to be progress. I’d rather see progress than blight.
MS: Yes, of course. All day long.
JB: How big is this space?
It is around a thousand square feet. Pets are allowed. But I say, you know, please use your judgment because the fence isn’t very high. And if he takes off, it’s not my fault. We are closed Mondays and we are a daytime spot. I don’t want to be late night. We close at six. In the Summer we may stay open later.
Full disclosure: I danced around this story for a minute trying to figure out exactly how I would share the news. I mean, the reality is, there is no food Read More
