A customer at the new Starbucks at Exit 82 told the manager something that stuck with her. She had driven that road for 20 years and never knew a coffee shop was there. DeAnna Driessen repeated the story to the Savannah Morning News in February. Her point was that the store was "still being discovered," and that traffic was building from both travelers and Heartwood residents.
That pairing of travelers and residents explains the corridor better than any rendering does. Exit 82 was pitched as a nostalgic stop for people driving I-95. So far, though, what's actually opening there is built around the needs of people who live a few minutes away: coffee, a quick lunch, golf carts, nails, shipping, and pizza. The hotel that was supposed to headline the district still hasn't opened, while the errand businesses are lining up ahead of it.
The Hotel Was Supposed to Be the Headline
Richard Kessler built Savannah's Plant Riverside District and renovated the Mansion on Forsyth Park, so his Richmond Hill plans came with big expectations. The project is a 200-room hotel on an eight-acre parcel. It combines a Courtyard and a Residence Inn, both Marriott brands. Kessler described the theme as a tribute to the "old school road trip." He promised car-themed artwork, a classic Mustang on display, a Ford Model A, and 45 palm trees in the parking area. He said it "will be the most beautiful roadside development along I-95."
In February, the opening was expected in November. Kessler's newer materials are vaguer. The company's careers page now names the Courtyard by Marriott Savannah Richmond Hill and the Residence Inn by Marriott Savannah Richmond Hill and says "Opening Fall 2026." A restaurant server job posted September 22 says "late 2026." Neither gives a date.
Even the car isn't settled. The February story described a refurbished 1968 Ford Mustang GT like the one in the Steve McQueen film Bullitt. Kessler's September job listing describes a 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback at the hotel entrance. Marriott already lists an on-site American restaurant called The Bistro, serving breakfast and dinner. No source confirms whether The Bistro is operating yet or whether it will welcome walk-in diners who aren't staying at the hotel.
Coffee and Chicken Got There First
While the hotel was going up, two businesses opened next to it and started drawing local traffic. According to the store's manager, the Starbucks that is part of Kessler's project opened in November, a few months before that February story ran. Zaxby's opened nearby. The February reporting said it wasn't clear whether Zaxby's is connected to the Kessler development.
Driessen pitched her store as a place for study sessions and business meetings, which she called the "third place" after home and work. That isn't how you describe a coffee stop for drivers who refill and get back on the interstate. It's how you describe a coffee shop for neighbors. The Savannah Morning News put the exit about ten minutes from the heart of Richmond Hill. At the moment, Starbucks and Zaxby's are the only confirmed reasons to make that drive.
The Row Reads Like an Errand List
The Row is at 145 Pioneer Way. It sits in Poplar Place inside Heartwood's Town District, just behind the Kessler hotels and the Starbucks. It held a grand opening brunch and ribbon cutting on Thursday, September 24, with live music. Heartwood's announcement said ahead of time that some tenants would still be finishing their spaces that day, with opening dates to follow as each business was ready.
So the ribbon cutting opened the building, not every business in it. Here is where each tenant stands as of the end of September, based on the reporting so far:
- Keller's Woodfire Pizza: expected to open in November, according to the owners.
- Hawg's Golf Cart: expected "later this year," selling golf carts.
- Pin High Indoor Golf: announced as a tenant. An opening date for the Richmond Hill location hasn't been confirmed.
- LuFinity Nails: announced as a tenant. No opening date or hours have been confirmed.
- An upscale barbershop: announced, but not yet named.
- A shipping store: Heartwood's announcement and Bryan County News both name The UPS Store. The updated Savannah Morning News story says FedEx plans a location. The two accounts haven't been reconciled.
None of these tenants depends on interstate traffic. A shipping counter, a nail salon, and a barbershop are places you go back to every few weeks. Golf carts point even more directly at the neighborhood. Ray Duran, who served 21 years in the military, will manage Hawg's. He told the Savannah Morning News the store will carry 20 to 25 models in different styles and colors. He also explained why demand is there: "People use golf carts as a way to socialize." Plenty of businesses can count on interstate traffic. A golf cart dealership needs customers who live close by.
Bill Cunningham, vice president of real estate for Raydient, Heartwood's master developer, said the same thing in the developer's own words. He said these businesses "aren't just serving Heartwood" and are creating "new choices for all of Richmond Hill."
Keller's Is the November Date to Watch
Of all The Row's tenants, Keller's Woodfire Pizza has the most specific opening plan, and the owners are the ones who gave it. James and Theresa Reeves have run Keller's as a food truck for four years. They signed their lease about a year ago, before construction was finished, and they hope to open in November.
"My husband always wanted to do a brick and mortar after the first year," Theresa said. She also described the new oven, which holds 15 pizzas at once, and admitted, "I'm a little nervous. This is something new. It's going to be our first restaurant." Until the restaurant opens, Keller's website advertises the truck for private parties and events. It doesn't post a public schedule of where the truck will be.
A 15-pizza oven is sized for steady dinner traffic, the kind that comes from families picking up an order on the way home. It isn't sized for the occasional traveler pulling off I-95. If Keller's opens in November as planned, it will be the first sit-down dinner option on The Row, and it's run by a local couple, not a national chain.
What Comes After The Row
The rest of Heartwood's commercial plan continues the same way, with everyday businesses for the community. Heartwood is a 14,000-acre master-planned community with 10,000 homes planned. Here's what's in the pipeline beyond The Row:
- Parker's Kitchen. Richmond Hill City Council approved a new location on April 7. In August, the company said the project was still in permitting and design and gave no construction or opening timeline.
- CBC Richmond Hill. Community Bible Church plans a campus in Heartwood. The latest reporting didn't confirm that construction has started.
- A home improvement store. Reporting from June said one is coming across the street, but no chain has been named.
- Pine Bluff. Heartwood's guide describes this 29.3-acre commercial site on the southwest side of Exit 82 without naming any tenants.
- An assisted living facility, which the developers list as part of the pipeline.
Kessler has more plans of his own and isn't sharing the details yet.
"I'm going to keep that a little secret right now. We need to make some more progress on getting it figured out and planned. We will be developing another standalone restaurant, maybe even two, and then we have some additional property on the north side that we plan to take down pretty soon."
He said that to the Savannah Morning News in February. Those restaurants could eventually give the travel side of the district its own dining, but none has been named.
One Thing to Know Before an Evening Drive
If you're heading to Exit 82 after dark this fall, check the road first. GDOT began nightly I-95 ramp closures on Tuesday, September 8. Ramps close one at a time from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for resurfacing, from south of Exit 87 in Bryan County to south of the I-16 interchange. Detours run through Exit 82 at Belfast Keller Road, U.S. 17, and other I-95 exits. GDOT's announcement didn't give an end date. As long as the resurfacing continues, a nighttime trip for coffee or a future pizza pickup could mean driving through a detour route around the exit.
As of today, Starbucks and Zaxby's are the only Exit 82 businesses confirmed to be serving customers. The Reeves family is aiming for November, and the hotel says only that it will open late this year.
If you live near Heartwood and want to know how all this new retail at Exit 82 could affect what your home is worth, Paul Armitage can help. Get a free home valuation, or call or text Paul for fast, honest answers about what's opening near you.
