New Waters Cafe raising money by selling naming right to ‘anything’ inside

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A new café is hoping to be up and running in just a few months on Waters Avenue in Savannah and you could have your name it, or at least on part of it for a cost.

“Everybody has been talking about Waters Avenue for such a long time. There seems to be a conversation in the city about, when is Waters Avenue going to get going again,” says owner Clint Edminster.

But rather than wait for someone else to make the first move, Edminster is diving in headfirst.

“We are sitting in what is going to be in the next couple of months, Waters Café.”

An edition District 4 Alderman Nick Palumbo feels is a perfect fit.

“It’s exciting to see Waters Café thinking outside of the box because this is exactly what we need. The very worst urban land type out there is the old abandon building. We need to revitalize them.”

Edminster aiming to not only breath life into an old building but fill a need for the area.

“We hope to not only bridge the gap between people and good food but bridge the gap between neighbors and each other.”

Of course, to do that he’ll need a little help.

“Putting together a café is not necessarily the most inexpensive endeavor a person could take on,” said Edminster.

But he isn’t just asking for money, he’s offering a chance to be part of the café.

“We are selling naming rights to literally everything inside this café.”

Yes, everything, “we’ve got the Beth Vantosh toilet, we have the Chelsea Phillips wifi.”

Electrical sockets, sinks, chairs, just about anything you can fit a name plate on.

So far people are jumping at the opportunity.

“I’m an investor as well, put your money with your mouth is. So, $100 of my own personal money is invested here for the Nick Palumbo Potted Plant,” said Palumbo.

While it is certainly good for his business, what Edminster really hopes is it proves there’s a lot of promise on Waters Avenue.

“It’s time. It’s time for Waters Avenue to start building up and building back. We’d love to have other neighbors in this part of town as well. There’s some incredible buildings and some incredible spaces up and down Waters that I’d love to see come to life again.”

If you’d like more information on Waters Café or how to get your name on something inside click here.

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