Mrs Wilkes Dining Room

Charlotte's Corner will close after nearly 30 years downtown

Charlotte’s Corner, a store known in recent years for selling St. Patrick’s Day merchandise year-round, is going out of business after nearly 30 years downtown.

Owner Charlotte Parrott is retiring before her 77th birthday in September, closing the store at Bull and Liberty streets on Aug. 28.

Competition has quadrupled in the last three or four years and “the economy is not great,” she said.

“But if I were younger, I’d be in there fighting,” Parrott said. “If I were young and able to do much, I’d keep on keeping on."

She has been keeping for decades, adapting its merchandise to taste change.

Parrott has sold furniture, clothing, country crafts and gifts. Towards the end of his career details, it has sold T-shirts for tourists and residents.

Parrott opened his first shop selling craft countries in 1984. The store has been at its present location since 1986.

At one point, she ran three stores on Liberty Street, all between Bull Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

One was a store his father started, furniture Taylor, and two were appointed Charlotte Country Corner.

The sale of furniture was something she did for a living, craft stores have been something she enjoys.

She and her staff remind buyers famous, including Reba McEntire, Caroline Kennedy and members of the family of Clint Eastwood.

One year, she took a little space at Oglethorpe Mall at Christmas craft sales countries.

She said she owned a parking lot near the center Spanky wanted to rent for Christmas shopping. Parrott said she told them the rent parking will be "X dollars and I want a space in the mall selling handicrafts."

She said the crafts sold so quickly it was hard to rebuild the stock fairly quickly.

"It was fun, and I loved it," she said.

After that, two stores opened in the center of country crafts throughout the year.

One day, when the craft countries has become less popular, Parrott said she and her daughter went to lunch at Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room and a man sitting next to them told him about the purchase of a dozen T-shirts for sale in his shop.

She said she did not think it was a good idea, but it was a good salesman.

"I thought to fail," said Parrott.

But she sold 12 shirts quickly and bought 12 and 12 more.

A customer would come in and buy five or six shirts.

"In a way the shirts took over," she said.

Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room in Savannah, Georgia | Azalea Inn ...

Kolin (you know, Azalea Inn’s chef…and my man-candy AKA husband) and I had been to Mrs. Wilkes’ for my birthday last year and couldn’t wait to share the experience with some of our family and friends.  So, when his mom and sister came for an extended weekend, we made sure to make time for it.  A line forms early every weekday (they are closed on Saturdays and Sundays as well as the ENTIRE month of January) until the doors open at 11 am.  Folks are shuffled in and seated as tables become available.  Strangers share a HUGE Southern meal family-style and are friends by dessert, a tradition begun when the restaurant was a boarding house.

President Obama dined at Mrs. Wilkes’ this past year and the lucky patrons on-hand had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  While we can’t guarantee that you will dine with THE President, you just never know who might be sharing a table with you; after all, Savannah is a premiere filming destination.

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