Steve Kelly is general manager of The Cotton Exchange, a popular tavern and restaurant on Savannah’s downtown riverfront. When a movie crew was shooting a scene in the Netflix production of “The Do-Over,” an action comedy starring Adam Sandler and David Spade, a nighttime shoot kept the cast and crew working late.
A producer came into The Cotton Exchange to see if they could get dinner. “And how many will that be?” Steve asked. “About 110 to 130,” the producer replied.
No problem. Steve normally shuts down food service about 10:30 p.m., so by 11 p.m. he was ready to feed the crew. Practically everything he had in the fridge and freezer was thrown into the effort. The restaurant couldn’t seat the whole gang at one time, so he served in shifts until after midnight.
“They loved it,” Steve says. “They paid a big bill and tipped handsomely. All my people walked out with a fistful of cash in tips.”
East River Street is a popular spot for filming in Georgia. In November a crew filmed an episode of the TV series “Underground.”
And celebrities pop in and out of The Cotton Exchange frequently. One of those was actor Darius McCrary, who rose to fame playing Eddie Winston in “Family Matters.” He stopped in recently for dinner when he was in town playing a role in the upcoming film “Love Under New Management,” a biopic about singer/actress Miki Howard.
So, movie and a dinner anyone? It can happen both ways in downtown Savannah.