Zunzi’s Beach-Themed Bar Concept Brings Award-Winning Bar Fare and Handcrafted Cocktails to First Beachside Location
Zunzibar has finally taken its beach-themed bar concept to the beach and is ready to celebrate with a grand opening affair in conjunction with ZUNZIFEST!, its quarterly celebration of growth through giving, on Tuesday, April 11, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The sister concept of the Savannah-based fast casual restaurant Zunzi’s opened a standalone location on Tybee Island on March 28, in the former home of beloved local spot Gerald’s Pig & Shrimp at the intersection of McKenzie Avenue and U.S. Highway 80.
“ZUNZIFEST! is our favorite way of showing appreciation to the local community,” says Zunzi’s + Zunzibar owner Chris Smith. “And we couldn’t think of a better way than to celebrate our grand opening than by kicking it off with our new neighbors and showing our support to the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia.”
On April 11, Zunzibar invites members of its text community to the new location for a free Conquistador (vegan option available upon request) and will be donating a portion of sales during this month’s ZUNZIFEST! to the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. To join Zunzibar’s text community and receive a link for more details about ZUNZIFEST!, text “ZUNZIFEST!” to 912-207-7551. On the morning of ZUNZIFEST!, guests will receive a code to show the team upon arrival. Guests joining for ZUNZIFEST! also will be able to take part in Tybee Island Main Street’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2 p.m. before Zunzibar closes early at 3 p.m. for a special appreciation party for the Zunzibar team.
“With Zunzibar’s beach theme and bar-focused menu, it made sense for us to look locally at potential beachside locations where we could cater specifically to beachgoers,” says Smith. “Of course, Tybee Island was high on our list of spots, and when we saw that the Gerald’s Pig & Shrimp building was available, it was like a sign. It’s pretty much the perfect size for our needs, and the location is ideal. It’s right across the street from the Tybee Island Wedding Chapel and Grand Ballroom, which makes us a super-convenient option to cater events there. It’s even golf cart-accessible. Everything just lined up beautifully.”
The Zunzibar menu features a heavy focus on bar fare, including wings and a selection of Zunzi’s award-winning sandwiches. Among the food highlights are:
- Conquistador sandwich – What Zunzi’s is best known for, made with marinated chicken, provolone, lettuce, tomato, Zunzi’s sauce and dressing and Parmesan, served on a freshly baked French bread roll
- Falafel – Bringing back an old Zunzi’s classic that’s only available on Tybee, made with falafel, romaine, tomato, cucumber, onion, feta, hummus, ziki, and Zunzi’s sauce and dressing
- Wings – Peri-peri marinated chicken wings are covered in a choice of one of Zunzi’s house-made sauces, ranging from sweet to spicy, and served with blue cheese or ranch dressing
- Slaap chips – House-made potato chips with signature seasoning, topped with onions and peppers, peri-peri cheese sauce, Zunzi’s sauce and dressing and sour cream, plus a choice of any additional fill
The beverage menu boasts beer, wine, signature cocktails and shot-skis including:
- Banana Hammock (frozen) – rum, coconut, banana and lime juice
- Coco-Mo – RumHaven coconut rum, fresh mint, lime juice, cane sugar and soda
- Hot ‘Rita – Bird’s Eye Chili-infused tequila, triple sec, lime juice, pineapple juice, cane sugar and a Tajin rim
- Island Water Shot – RumHaven coconut rum, Blue Curacao and pineapple juice
- Bloody Mary – Reggae or Bird’s Eye Chili (+$3 for Tito’s vodka)
Zunzibar has two separate happy hours every day: Golden Hour from 5-7 p.m. and Late Night from 10-11 p.m. Guests also can enjoy live music every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 6-9 p.m., which will transition to daily performances during the island’s peak tourist season. Happy hour features include half-off all drinks, $1 wings (six or 12 pieces) and more.
While the flagship Zunzi’s + Zunzibar location in downtown Savannah features the two concepts adjacent to each other, the Tybee Island location is the first standalone Zunzibar, part of a move to emphasize the strengths of the sibling brands as the company ramps up efforts to franchise and expand into multiple markets.
“Zunzibar is a perfect fit for Tybee Island,” Smith says. “We built our business in Savannah, focused on making locals say ‘Shit, yeah!’ to our fantastic offerings and our focus on giving back to the communities we serve. And now we’re just super excited to provide that same experience for Tybee Island and to be a part of the Tybee community.”
Zunzibar is located at 1115 US-80 East on Tybee Island. For more information, please visit zunzibar.com.
Zunzi’s first opened its doors in 2005 with the sole purpose of filling the tummies of college students at the Savannah College of Art and Design with home-cooked meals. Since then, Zunzi’s award-winning menu has won the hearts of not only SCAD students but also locals and tourists visiting Savannah. By popular demand, Zunzi’s expanded to Atlanta, Georgia, and opened a second location in 2018. In 2021, Zunzi’s relocated its original Savannah location and added Zunzibar, its sister beach-bar concept. A second location of Zunzibar opened in Tybee Island, Georgia, in March 2023. Zunzi’s + Zunzibar is now focused on further expansion by opening company locations in Coastal Georgia and Florida. In 2022, Zunzi’s earned a spot on Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list, and CEO Chris Smith was recognized among Fast Casual’s Top 25 Executives. In 2020, Smith was named among QSR’s “15 Young Restaurant Leaders to Watch.” In 2019, Zunzi’s landed on Thrillist’s compilation of “The 33 Best Sandwiches in America,” and the eatery’s Conquistador was named the best sandwich in Georgia on People magazine’s “Best Sandwich in Every State” list. In 2017, Zunzi’s secured a spot on Mental Floss’ list of “The Best Sandwiches in all 50 States” and BuzzFeed’s “34 Meals That are Actually Worth Traveling the World For.” Zagat also rated the Savannah location’s food a 4.6/5. The Conquistador was ranked among Men’s Journal’s “50 Best Sandwiches in America,” in 2015 and “Best Sandwich in the South” by Travel Channel’s Adam Richman in 2012. For more information, photos and menus, visit zunzis.com and zunzibar.com.
- More from Zunzi’s + Zunzibar
