Sarah and Kurtis Schumm knew what Tybee Island needed. While this small island off of the coast of Savannah, Ga. had amassed a surplus of fried seafood fish options and restaurants decked out with pirate and dolphin themed décor, it was missing a great taqueria. The locals and tourists alike deserved a place that felt like more like everyone’s favorite beach house than a kitschy beach motel.
The idea came to them before their romance began.
When he met Sarah, Kurtis was taking a reprieve from his career in country music and living on the island with his girlfriend. Sarah, a Savannah native, had just moved her interior design business from Tybee Island onto the mainland. She was also seeing someone. As fate had it, both of their relationships dissolved, and they began a friendship.
“It took me restoring her family’s beach house for her to fall in love with me,” said Kurtis, “and I brought her flowers everyday.”
As their relationship blossomed, they got the idea for another new beginning.
“We would ride our bikes at the end of the night and we would peek in this place. It was available for months, and it was considered a cursed building because so many different restaurants had been in and out and not made it.”
But where others saw impossibility, they saw potential.
The building had last housed a University of Georgia-style sports bar, and everything was coated in red and black.
“Before, it was mismatched and didn’t have any identity,” said Sarah. “It was like, oh my God, knock all these walls down, paint it white, let it breathe.”
The couple combined their versatile talents to give the building the new life it deserved. With Sarah’s penchant for good design, Kurtis’ construction skills and the help of veteran restaurant employees, they opened Tybee Island Social Club.
The restaurant is now a striking exhibition of Sarah’s eye for interior design and her strong sense of the island. The walls are whitewashed and the space wide to capture a feeling of beach tranquility. Accented with white linen curtains, lanterns and twinkling lights, the atmosphere is as warm as it is festive. The walls are adorned with Kurtis and his mother’s paintings alongside subtle, tasteful nods to southern culture.
The menu is the result of both creative forces too. Kurtis was trained by an Italian chef years ago, and he channels this knowledge to create innovative fusion dishes. Sarah plays the important role of taste-tester.
“He’s always pairing these unique flavors together, like kind of random stuff--like our fish has the chorizo with the pear puree and a crispy strip of bacon,” she said. “It’s so odd, but it’s so addictive.”
As a wine connoisseur, Sarah and Beverage Director Matt Daniel keep the bar stocked with excellent wine.
“Because we are a small family business, we seek out small family production boutique wines, and it’s worked out really well for us,” Sarah said.
House cocktails like blood orange sangria and the jalapeño margarita are also popular options after a long, salty day on the beach.
The name ‘Social Club’ reflects activities like gypsy brunch, blues and bingo, an infamous Kentucky Derby party and Chihuahua races on Cinco de Mayo that confirm the restaurant’s dual purpose as a meeting place. Kurtis performs his music frequently and books local and visiting acts most nights of the week.
“Tybee is a funny little island,” Sarah said. “It’s quirky and whatever goes.”
After seeing great success with Social, the Schumms opened Tybee Island Fish Camp in the early summer months. The new restaurant is also tastefully thematic and offers beautifully plated, creative seafood dishes that continue to stand out on the island.
Together the Schumms have raised the standard of dining and entertainment on Tybee Island, making it a glorious place to visit and to seriously consider never leaving.
Story by Jodi Cash
Photographs by Paige French