Chicago Pizza coming to the Landing

[fsu813]

Jacksonville Landing boasts 2 newcomers just in time for Florida-Georgia
Chicago Pizza, Village Bread Cafe ready for big weekend

The thousands of Florida-Georgia fans expected at The  Jacksonville Landing this weekend will have two new restaurant choices at which they can eat, drink and watch college football.

Two local restaurant chains, Chicago Pizza and Village Bread Cafe, are opening new locations at the Landing. Chicago Pizza is scheduled to open today  and Village Bread Cafe opened Wednesday.

Village Bread Cafe opened its first retail restaurant in March at 5215 Philips Highway, and General Manager Jim Anderson said business there has been so good, it’s prompted an expansion to the Landing as well as a Mandarin location, on San Jose Boulevard, which is to open in December.

Anderson said the restaurant will expand its offerings this weekend to include beer, burgers, wings and sandwiches not usually included on its menu.

“I think we’ll be ready,” he said. “We’ve got enough expertise.”

The restaurant’s breakfast and lunch fare centers on baked goods. He said the restaurant’s Philips Highway staff will be brought in this weekend to help with the Florida-Georgia crowd.
Anderson said expanding despite a bad economy will position the company for a bright future.

“We’re confident there will be a recovery, and by positioning ourselves at this location and in Mandarin, we’ll be in better shape when the recovery comes,” he said.

Chicago Pizza, which specializes in thick “Chicago-style” pizzas , will offer fans a lot to eat and drink and plenty to watch, co-owner Vic Comastro  said.

The restaurant’s staff is ready for the crowds this weekend, he said â€" with one bar on the Landing’s central sidewalk, five in a patio facing the river and the restaurant’s bar inside.

Patrons also will be greeted by $250,000 in televisions of varying size, covering the restaurant’s walls and posted at many of its tables.

In all, he said, its owners have put about $1 million into the location to get it opened, Comastro said.

And five projection televisions are being brought in for the game, he said. He’s also hired 45 people beyond the restaurant’s 25 to handle the additional vending.

Comastro said local chains appear to be weathering the battered  economy better than national chains because they are more tuned into their markets.

“I guess we understand the market,” he said. “For every one of us, business is down. But you have to compensate being down with deals. And we’ve lowered all our prices.”

Comastro, whose new staff will begin at one of the Landing’s busiest times , said they’re ready.

“You’ve got to make sure you’ve got enough product, enough staff, and deal with the frustrations,” he said. “You’re going to have meltdowns.”

Chicago Pizza’s other locations are at 8206 Philips Highway and 320 N. First  St. in Jacksonville Beach.



http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-10-29/story/jacksonville_landing_boasts_2_newcomers_just_in_time_for_florida_georgia

[Jason]

Perfect fit for the Landing.

[copperfiend]

Agreed.

[fsujax]

At least they have nice, bright colors and lighted signs, it looks like that place will be well lit up. Hope the are able to succeed.

[Seraphs]

i think i said knock them down, cart away the concrete, and plant gardens.
and not just downtown
the whole idea is to eliminate sprawl.

'Surrender Dorthy'  I think they've enclosed the circled wagons.

[tufsu1]

the scariest thing is they didn't lie this time...they have over 80 TVs!

[Jason]

Holy cow!  Why is that scary though!?

[Captain Zissou]

^^ Is it common to lie about the number of tvs you have?? I'll probably be there tonight, so I'll do my best to notice the interior.

[downtownjag]

How are they going to keep the exterior ones from being stolen or vandalized by the Jacksonville Downtown Nomadic Society?

[tufsu1]

Holy cow!  Why is that scary though!?

because they claimed that the first store (baymeadows/Philips) would have over 60 TVs....there's more like 40 or 45

[thelakelander]

How are they going to keep the exterior ones from being stolen or vandalized by the Jacksonville Downtown Nomadic Society?

Landing security?  Its kind of hard to steal and walk around with a flat screen tv without being noticed.

[tufsu1]

How are they going to keep the exterior ones from being stolen or vandalized by the Jacksonville Downtown Nomadic Society?

good question...but the outside ones have been up for more than a week (with the restaurant not even open) and they're all still there!

[downtownjag]

JDNS will get to them, unless they can be removed and brought inside at night.  I live down here so I only mean it lightly, but sometimes it's beautiful, vibrant Jax by day and "I am Legend"ish by night :-)

[downtownjag]

*** Not that other cities aren't like that as well. ***  I am thinking vigilante justice next time I hear someone trying to knock a parking meter off its rocker to get the quarters out at night.

[Keith-N-Jax]

I wish I could be there to see what everything looks like. When will they take the Tv's down? I wont be back til Sunday.