Sally Mae’s is looking a little different these days with its fresh, eye-catching paint job. The restaurant’s new owners have temporarily closed the doors to give the establishment some TLC, and are hopeful that its reopening this August will bring a new era of Southern eats to Statesboro.
“Keeping that warm hospitality is important,” said Christine Cutlip, who alongside husband David Cutlip, will have the honor of running the famous Sally Mae’s Kitchen located on Hwy 67, just a few paces from the I-16 exit to Statesboro.
Partnering with family rather than large investors, the Cutlips have opened five unique restaurant ventures across the Savannah area, and are grateful to find their newest opportunity a little further away from the city, right here in the Bulloch County community.
After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2010, moving to Ohio for a corporate job where she met her husband, and eventually finding her way back home to Savannah, Christine yearned to step into a new chapter of entrepreneurship.
Her father helped her ‘get the ball rolling’ with her first restaurant called Splendid Shabu in Pooler back in 2014. Her parents, who are now retired, had owned the Pooler Seafood Market before passing ownership to their first ever employee.
With great success in establishing the first-of-its-kind hot-pot spot in the Savannah area, the Cutlips expanded further, even entering the dessert and cafe realm by opening the popular Below Zero rolled ice cream shop inside of their Savannah Seafood Shack on Broughton.
Arguably their most famous venture, Savannah Seafood Shack has been featured on the Travel Channel, Food Network, and the Cooking Channel as a can’t-miss dining experience in the heart of downtown.
More recently the couple opened the Savannah Smokehouse and YATAI Ramen + Yakitori restaurant. What all of these establishments have in common is their counter-service specialty.
Keeping with these traditions of their own, Sally Mae’s is offering the Cutlips another opportunity to bring customers quick, affordable and enjoyable meals. After trying the restaurant for themselves and learning that the previous owners were preparing to retire, the Cutlips knew they wanted to help breathe a new life into the local restaurant that already embodied their vision of great food at great prices.
“This is the first restaurant where we didn’t go in and completely flip the concept,” said Cutlip. “We saw something special here. That was part of the reason why we initiated the conversation… We wanted to keep the previous owner’s legacy.”
Loyal customers will be able to find the classic smash burgers, barbeque, and seafood plates on the new menu, alongside more unique creations that have become popular at the Cutlips other restaurants. Here’s a sneak peak at some new dishes that will be featured on the menu:
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Low Country Boil - Shrimp, beef sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob all topped with garlic butter, cajun seasoning and fresh lemon
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Smoked Honey Wings - smoked, fried and tossed in honey sauce
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BBQ Nachos - Tortilla chips topped with white queso, pulled pork, green onions and BBQ sauce
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Cornbread Bowls - Cornbread topped with mac & cheese, pulled pork, green onions and BBQ sauce
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Southern Egg Rolls - Filled with pulled pork and collard, deep fried and served with sweet chili sauce
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Bangin' Shrimp - Hand battered and fried shrimp tossed in creamy, sweet and spicy sauce
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Sally's crab Pie - Eggs, fresh crab meat, bell peppers and swiss cheese
Timmy Tsoi (Christine Cutlip's father), David Cutlip and Christine Cutlip standing behind the new counters of Sally Mae's
Plus, Sally's is going to be open for later dinner hours under its new management.
Connect with the Cutlips through the Sally Mae’s Kitchen Facebook page, and send in your best ideas for their grand re-opening celebration. Christine Cutlip says that the family is looking forward to getting to know the restaurant's loyal customers and the new members of our growing community face-to-face, and will hopefully be sharing an opening date via social media soon.
“We’re just a couple exits away, they’ll see our faces here,” she said.
Stay tuned with Grice Connect for more updates about the anticipated reopening of Sally Mae’s.
