What Savannah Taste Experience does

Savannah Taste Experience is a private, founder-controlled food tour company operating as McLachlan Entertainment, LLC, founded in 2012 by brothers Stu Card (Co-Founder & COO, formerly a trial attorney and law-firm partner) and Donald Card (Co-Founder & CTO, formerly a media/broadcast operations specialist) in Savannah, Georgia. The company sells three primary public walking food tours — the First Squares Food Tour ($89.95), Southern & Secret Food Tour ($86.95), and Walktails & Bar Bites Happy Hour Tour ($96.95) — each running 2.5–3 hours, capped at 14 guests, and pairing 5–6 tastings at local, independent, family-owned restaurants with historical and architectural narration of Savannah's Historic District. It is the original food tour operator in Savannah, with curatorial exclusivity across a deep roster of restaurant partners (Olde Pink House, Elizabeth's on 37th, Husk, Cha Bella, The Grey, Leopold's Ice Cream, and others).

The business operates a direct-to-consumer model with bookings processed through FareHarbor (online self-serve plus phone sales at 912-221-4439) and a Shopify-based retail marketplace at savannah-taste-experience.myshopify.com, supported by a brick-and-mortar storefront in downtown Savannah opened in 2023. Beyond the public tours, revenue is diversified across private tours, Networking Tours, Micro Food Fests (large-group evening events for 125+ corporate, wedding, and conference clients), customizable corporate gift boxes (10–1,000 units), gift certificates, and royalty income from the founders' 2017 book Savannah Food: A Delicious History (Arcadia Publishing). Customer segments span tourists, locals, special-occasion groups (bachelorette, milestone, couples), corporate event planners, and older adults/retirees. The company is uncapitalized externally, has no parent or institutional investors, operates with 11–50 employees, and has accrued awards including the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame, US News & World Report Top 15 US food tour, a Travel Channel feature, and a 2025 Arival TourReview Spotlight Awards North America shortlist.

Name

Savannah Taste Experience

Legal name

McLachlan Entertainment, LLC

Website

https://savannahtasteexperience.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Savannah Taste Experience is a private, founder-led food tour company in Savannah, Georgia offering walking culinary tours with historical commentary to tourists, locals, corporate groups, and special-occasion parties, plus a retail marketplace and corporate gift-box business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Culinary Tourism Services

NAICS

Special Food Services (7223), Caterers (722320), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Food, Market & Culinary Culture Tours (THAJAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Culinary Walking & Market Tours (THAJAGAA), Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH)

Keywords

• Culinary walking tours
• Guided food experiences
• Corporate culinary events
• Savannah tourism activities
• Local food tastings

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Food Tour Tickets: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to three walking food tours: Southern & Secret Food Tour ($86.95), Walktails & Bar Bites Happy Hour Tour ($96.95), and First Squares Food Tour ($89.95). Tours run 2.5-3 hours and include tastings at 5-6 local restaurants.
2. Savannah Taste Marketplace: Brick-and-mortar retail location showcasing culinary treats, food-related souvenirs, and one-of-a-kind kitchen items. Also operates as online marketplace (Shopify).
3. Corporate Gift Boxes: Customizable gourmet gift boxes featuring local Savannah food products for corporate clients, weddings, and events. Hand-packed with items like Savannah Cheese Straws and Savannah Bee Company honey.
4. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available for purchase covering tour tickets, sold through FareHarbor platform.
5. Micro Food Fests: Evening culinary events for large groups (125+ people), corporate events, weddings, and conferences featuring samples from 10+ top Savannah restaurants in one location.
6. Savannah Food: A Delicious History Book: Published book co-authored by founders Stu and Donald Card, released April 2017 through Arcadia Publishing, documenting Savannah's culinary history.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Savannah Taste Experience runs guided walking food tours through Savannah's Historic District, combining tastings at 5–6 local, independent restaurants with historical and architectural commentary. Three public tours (First Squares, Southern & Secret, Walktails & Bar Bites) anchor the offering, supplemented by private tours, networking tours, Micro Food Fests for large groups, and a curated retail marketplace for local culinary goods and corporate gift boxes.

Product overview

Savannah Taste Experience is a food tour company offering walking and tasting tours of Savannah, Georgia. Founded in 2012 by brothers Stu and Donald Card, it operates as a single unified service model centered around culinary tours. The core portfolio consists of three distinct public food tours: the First Squares Food Tour (flagship midday experience), Southern & Secret Food Tour (hidden gems focus), and Walktails & Bar Bites Happy Hour Tour (cocktail-forward evening experience). Private group offerings include Private Tours, Networking Tours, and Micro Food Fests for corporate events. A complementary retail division, Savannah Taste Marketplace, sells curated local culinary products and gift boxes via Shopify. Gift certificates serve as a separate gifting product. All tours are walking-based, 2.5-3 hours in duration, and feature small independent family-owned restaurants and specialty food shops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Micro Food Fests: Evening events ideal for corporate events, weddings, conferences, and large groups of 125+ people featuring cuisine from multiple Savannah restaurants and specialty food shops.

Products and services

• Southern & Secret Food Tour Guided 3-hour walking food tour running daily, featuring off-the-beaten-path restaurants, speakeasies, and classic Southern dishes like biscuits and gravy, with 6 tastings sufficient for a complete lunch. Priced from $86.95 per person.
• First Squares Food Tour Flagship 3-hour midday lunch walking tour through Savannah's iconic Historic District squares at a moderate pace suitable for older adults and first-time visitors. Priced at $89.95 per person.
• Walktails & Bar Bites Happy Hour Tour 2.5-hour cocktail-focused happy hour walking tour featuring to-go cocktails and bar bites in Savannah's open-container district, running Thursday through Saturday evenings. Priced at $96.95 per person.
• Private Tours Customized private group walking food tours for large groups, corporate events, and bridal showers, offering exclusive access and personalized experiences.
• Networking Tours Specialized walking food tours designed for corporate networking events and team-building activities, adapted for professional group dynamics.
• Micro Food Fests Evening culinary events bringing cuisine from 10+ top Savannah restaurants and specialty food shops to one location, designed for corporate events, weddings, conferences, and large groups of 125+ attendees.
• Savannah Taste Marketplace Curated retail marketplace (Shopify online store and brick-and-mortar storefront) offering local culinary gifts, food-related souvenirs, Southern pantry staples, and one-of-a-kind kitchen items.
• Corporate Gift Boxes Customizable gourmet gift boxes featuring Savannah's local culinary treasures, including Savannah Cheese Straws and Savannah Bee Company honey, available for bulk corporate orders of 10 to 1,000 units with branding options.
• Food Tour Gift Certificates Variable-denomination gift certificates redeemable for tour tickets, purchased through the FareHarbor booking platform for use as gifts for friends, family, or special occasion attendees.
• Savannah Food: A Delicious History (Book) Published book co-authored by founders Stu and Donald Card documenting Savannah's culinary history, released through Arcadia Publishing (The History Press) in April 2017.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tastings from 5-6 different Savannah food experiences
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered notable, flagship, core and minor.

• Arcadia Publishing (The History Press)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBook publishing partnership for Savannah Food: A Delicious History, released April 2017. Arcadia Publishing, the largest publisher of local history books in America, approached the Card brothers to write about Savannah's culinary history.
• HGTVnotableGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured on HGTV Dream Home 2017 Video Series where lifestyle blogger Bri Emery was guided by founders Stu and Donald Card through Savannah's best eats.
• Travel ChannelflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured interview segment on Travel Channel discussing how the company eats and drinks in Savannah for a living.
• Restaurant Partners (Recommended Restaurants)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with recommended restaurants including Olde Pink House, Elizabeth's on 37th, Husk, B. Matthew's, Mrs. Wilke's Dining Room, Cha Bella, Crystal Beer Parlor, Circa 1875, Green Truck Pub, Local 11 Ten, Chive Seafood, Leopold's Ice Cream, 17Hundred90 Inn, and The Grey.
• Tour Stop PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurants and food shops featured on food tours including 22 Square, Zunzi's Takeout, Ordinary Pub, Walls BBQ, Savannah Spirits Chop House, Savannah Bee Company, Smith Brothers Butcher Shop, Our Daily Bread Cafe, and Mirabelle Cafe.
• TripAdvisorflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary distribution partner and review platform. Company is TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame recipient.
• Day Clean JourneysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecommended cultural heritage tour partner offering African-American and Gullah/Geechee heritage tours in Savannah.
• Cha Bella RestaurantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFine dining partner added to East Side Tour in April 2017. Offers VIP dinner-only experience exclusively for tour guests.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Orleans Food Tours: Food tour operator in New Orleans offering guided culinary walking experiences focused on local cuisine and history. Comparable Southern food-tour model with overlapping customer base of culinary tourists.
• Local Bites Food Tours: Operates food tours in Savannah and other Southern cities with a comparable guided-walking-tour-plus-tastings model. Directly competes for the same tourist customer base in the Historic District.
• Carolina Food Tours: Multi-city food tour operator in the Carolinas offering guided culinary walking tours. Comparable business model, ticket pricing structure, and curated restaurant partnership approach.
• Bites of Boston Food Tours: Boston-based food tour operator running guided walking tasting tours with a comparable history-plus-culinary narrative format. Similar price-per-ticket model and tourist-segment focus.
• Tours Voir Quebec: Named by TripAdvisor as the #1 most-booked food tour in top emerging food cities globally - directly comparable to Savannah Taste Experience's #2 global ranking. Offers similar curated culinary walking experiences in Quebec City.
• A Chef's Tour: Premium guided food experiences led by local chefs in multiple cities. Directly comparable curated-tour business model targeting culinary tourists, with similar ticket pricing in the $90+ range.
• City Food Tours: Multi-city food tour operator offering curated culinary walking tours across multiple U.S. destinations. Comparable product structure, marketing approach, and consumer target.
• A Taste of Charleston: Established food tour operator in a comparable Southern coastal city with a similar culinary-history walking-tour format. Comparable model, price points, and customer demographics to Savannah Taste Experience.
• Savannah Food Tour: Direct competitor operating walking food tours in Savannah's Historic District. Highly comparable offering: guided tastings at local restaurants for tourists, similar price points, and overlapping target customer (Savannah visitors).

Others

• FareHarbor: Booking platform provider used by Savannah Taste Experience (and broadly across the tours-and-activities industry). Not a competitor but the dominant distribution and reservation infrastructure for this category, shaping competitive dynamics and CAC economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/savannahtaste
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SavannahFoodTour
• Facebookfacebook.com/SavannahTasteExperience
• Instagraminstagram.com/savannahtaste
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/savannah-taste-experience

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Savannah Taste Experience