Some things have changed at Johnny Harris Restaurant over 88 years. The restaurant’s dining room “under the stars” was once a dance-floor decked with a revolving light and live music. There used to be slot machines inside for parents and a small petting zoo out back for kids.
But the classic barbecue, fried chicken and 1930s atmosphere — and the stars for that matter — haven’t changed. And the restaurant intends to keep it that way.
On Tuesday, a new rooftop cupola was hoisted on Johnny Harris’ dome as part of a larger restoration project to maintain the 76-year-old building’s original feel.
The old cupola originally lighted and filtered cigarette smoke from the dance floor area below. Without the need to filter smoke, the new piece is mostly decorative and symbolic.
“It’s to show that we care about our building, and we want to bring it back to its glory days,” said Corbin Parker, a manager at the restaurant and great-grandson of Johnny Harris’ original partner, Red Donaldson.
In the last year, the ceiling of the main dining room has been repainted twilight blue. The dining room booths have been refinished. Even a few burned-out stars on the ceiling have been replaced. Work on the bar area, bathrooms and kitchen area will follow. The renovations are expected to be completed next year.
Shortly after Johnny Harris founded the restaurant in 1924, Red Donaldson began working with
him. Since then, the restaurant has been in Donaldson’s family for four generations. In 1936, the restaurant moved to its current location at 1651 E. Victory Drive. It cost $24,000 to build and was Savannah’s first air-conditioned restaurant, according to Red’s son, Phil Donaldson.
The restoration is an effort to sustain the look of those early years, which is part of the attraction, Parker said. Renovating the restaurant without changing it too much is the challenge.
“What we hear from our customers,” Parker said, “is that they like the feel of Johnny Harris, and they don’t want anything to change.”
Red Donaldson’s son-in-law, Norman Heidt, has worked with the restaurant since 1966. He said so many generations have eaten at Johnny Harris that the unique atmosphere has become a part of the restaurant’s identity. While the renovations are a way to improve the restaurant, Heidt said they would “give it the same old feel.”
“Savannah is all about tradition,” Parker added, “and Johnny Harris is a Savannah tradition.”