City Market is truly a mixed-use property — From the historic buildings dating back to the 1700s to the open courtyard offering a space for people to gather to the merchants who offer art, retail, restaurants, museums and more. In Savannah City Market, our focus is on the local small business owners who offer a unique setting and service. Thanks to Savannah’s powerful preservation movement, City Market is home to amazing small businesses that offer the best options for connecting people with the city and each other.

Start with our list of businesses that have reached significant milestones in their small business journey, and join us in making every week Small Business Week in Savannah City Market!

Largest independent cookie company, Byrd Cookie Company

This year, Byrd Cookie Company celebrates 100 years of quality and traditional cookie recipes that have made it a beloved institution not only in Savannah but also among cookie lovers worldwide. Byrd Cookie Company has been a Savannah tradition since 1924, when Ben T. Byrd, Sr. began making cookies by hand, packing them in wooden boxes and delivering them in a Model-T Ford to Savannah stores. The cookies became so popular that Byrd Cookie Company is one of the largest and fastest-growing independent cookie, snack and gift companies in the United States. 

As the demand increased, the flagship store was moved to midtown Savannah, where they can now produce 1 billion cookies annually. In 2014, Byrd Cookie Company returned to downtown Savannah with a store in City Market. This store contains all of their delicious cookies as well as some local favorite gifts and gourmet foods. Come sample all the different cookies and take your favorite with you.

Oldest gallery by individual owner, Alix Baptiste

Alix Baptiste opened in City Market in 1985 making him the oldest individual gallery owner. Alix Baptiste is originally from Haiti, where he grew up one of nine siblings. At the age of 21, he left Haiti and came to Savannah, Georgia with family. With the encouragement and support of his stepmother, Baptiste began painting as a street artist, and his fans encouraged him to move to Savannah City Market. Baptiste can still be found painting in the storefront window of his gallery in City Market.
 
His work is colorful and reminiscent of both his Caribbean upbringing and to some, the coastal region he has called home for the last several decades. Working primarily in acrylics, a common theme in his work includes nature scenes of his native Caribbean. Baptiste’s original paintings can sell for thousands of dollars, but he makes lithographs and prints of popular works at a much lower price. His work has appeared in a number of national magazines including Black Enterprise, Ebony, and Upscale. 

A visit to the Alix Baptiste Art Gallery to see these works in person is well worth the trip!

Oldest gallery by group, Signature Gallery

With Savannah fast becoming a destination for up-and-coming artists, Signature Gallery of Savannah founders Kathy Miller and Sharon Saseen saw a need for an upscale fine art gallery in the historic City Market. Locating the perfect space in August 1992, Signature Gallery was soon deemed a work of art with its unique open floor plan that flooded all points with natural light. It soon became a fixture in a community surrounded by historic neighborhoods filled with period architecture and the lore from bygone days in the South. Unlike other Savannah galleries, Signature Gallery has 12 seasoned partners/artists who all own a piece of the gallery and share the responsibility of working in the gallery to explain all aspects of the artwork on display. 

Current artists are Kathy Miller (etchings and acrylics); Sharon Saseen (acrylic Savannah scenes and historic architecture); Elizabeth Slocum (heavy-body acrylics and mixed media); Kathryn Riechert (handmade enamel, micro mosaic, and gemstone jewelry); Jim Guerard (original ink-infused metal photography and prints); Donna Bouchillon (oils, watercolors, and acrylics); Phil Stark (watercolors); Mary Liz Craft (handmade jewelry); Pamella Dykema (watercolors); Scott Whitten (handmade enamel and silver jewelry, and 2D enamel art); Rebecca Sipper (acrylics); and Corinne Samuels (pastels). Signature Gallery is also home to several regional consignment artists displaying handmade stained-glass mirrors, pottery, metalwork and hand-blown glass sculptures.

Visitors to our city and Savannah locals agree that visiting the Signature Gallery of Savannah at City Market is a must!

Oldest merchant, Vinnie Van Go Go’s

On February 16, 1991, Paul Miller opened Vinnie Van Go-Go’s as a pizza delivery service for the downtown area. His mission was simple: Provide delicious NY-style pizza for locals in downtown Savannah. With a small indoor bar and a bicycle delivery service, Vinnie Van Go-Go’s became a popular restaurant among locals and tourists. At any given time, you could see people sitting in the City Market courtyard enjoying a slice of pizza and enjoying the scenery of Savannah. Today, Vinnie Van Go-Gos has expanded to include a patio for outdoor dining and an upstairs dining area. Whether you want pizza by the slice or an entire pie when looking for the best pizza in Savannah, head straight to Vinnie Van Go-Go’s.

Newest merchant, Mess Hall Savannah

On March 11, 2024, Savannah City Market welcomed Mess Hall Truck Shop. This is an interactive trucker hat-making experience with a nostalgic camp-themed cafeteria twist. The buffets are filled with an eclectic mix of iron-on patches, buttons and pins that guests use to create custom trucker hats. Emily Bargeron is no stranger to the small business scene in Savannah. As the owner of a clothing line, vintage store, ice cream shop and traveling pop-up shop, she learned that consumers want to engage and interact with retail stores to add their personal style and aesthetic to items. When looking for a space for her build-your-custom-trucker-hat concept, she knew City Market was the perfect place because of its reputation as an experiential shopping experience. Mess Hall fits right in with the artists who are here daily creating pieces. Swing by Mess Hall Truck Shop, and let your creativity shine. You will leave with more than a souvenir, but a piece of Savannah magic.