Wow - What a great addition/location; one of my favorite places to go in Jax Beach.....
Fionn MacCool's to open in Jacksonville LandingQuoteThe Jacksonville Landing is getting an Irish bar. Fionn MacCool's Irish Restaurant and Pub in Jacksonville Beach has signed a lease to open a second location in the Landing.
It's going in on the ground floor last occupied by Copper Cellar Grille & Tavern and Southern Brewery and Smokehouse before that.
Work has already begun and Paul Glaser, general manager, said opening is expected for the first half of October.
"We walked in there and fell in love with the space," he said. "It just looks so neat, and it's something we can do.
"A lot of people say the Landing has struggled, but I think there's business downtown. There's a lot of people working there, we can get a good lunch following," he said.
"More people are moving that direction. We can tap into Riverside and San Marco."
The pub will have the same Irish menu as Fion MacCool's at the beach but will have many more draft beers because it will have more cooler space, he said.
The space has 5,400 square feet and will seat about 200, counting the covered patios, he said.
Fionn MacCool's opened on First Street in Jacksonville Beach in 2005.
Meanwhile, River City Gourmet Shoppe opened Wednesday in the Landing. Owned by Mitch and Sherry Lyford, it features dips, rubs, soups and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar.
The Lyfords also operate Dips2Go selling dips and soups online and at Riverside Arts Market and similar outdoor markets.
It's the first storefront to open in the Landing since Pono Visual Expression in February.
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/food-and-dining/2011-08-11/story/fionn-maccools-open-jacksonville-landing?cid=hp-justin
Nice!
Very cool! I used to go to the Jax Beach location all the time.
Lets hope they build it out as nice as their place at the beach.
One more really cool tennant may be on their way ;)
Hopefully someone moves into the old Twisted Martini spot. It pains me to walk by that place and it's still empty. Such an ideal place within the Landing.
Please don't say Fuddrucker's or Cheesecake Factory..... ;)
What is Pono Visual Expression, mentioned in the article?
Stephen Dare, Is this the lease you were ruminating about in a related post?
Starbucks? ;D
Hurray! On all accounts.
What terrific news! Fionn MacCool's is a favorite of both the adults and children in our family. Great atmosphere, good food.
great news...we certainly need a good Irish pub, and the landing needs the business...win-win
The times I have been in MacCools when it was quiet on a winter afternoon reminded me of a few places I have been along the coast of Northern Ireland. They got the interior right. The food has been hit or miss over the years.
I have been to the one at the beach a few times. Cool little place. Hopefully they can succeed in that spot.
great news for the Landing. Hopefully they can continue to fill the place up!
I am super stoked about this. The Landing could use the independently owned businesses that have a lot of loyalty to boost foot traffic through the area.
That end of the Landing is a dead zone for some reason. Places never make it there long. I wish them luck.
and that is interesting because it is the end closest to the parking lot and the Hyatt!
Went to Fionn McCool's at the landing last night for their opening night. Service was disorganized as you would expect on an opening night and as the night wore on (we were there about 2 hours) a plumbing issue in the bathrooms and behind the bar made things much worse as more and more people filed in. Had 2 Guinesses and 2 apps (Irish Nachos were good, sausage rolls ok). Toney Sleiman was in the house. I'll be back for sure. I'm confident they'll work out the problems.
I stopped in last evening and had a Hoegaarden.
Was also down at the Landing today and there was a great band playing on the Fionn patio....they even invited the local trumpet guy (and his son) who often play on the Riverwalk to sit in on a jam session...it was awesome!
But here's the real key...most of the folks on the patio are not what some classify as "typical" Landing patrons....things are definitely looking up!
Heyyyy, welcome back Copper Cellar! Really missed you. I see you’ve become an Irish themed restaurant. I like this. Hopefully your staff will get the hang of things soon. Look forward to seeing you again.
Lunch and Service was excellent. The are also employing local musicians. Bravo!
I like Fionn's a lot--it's a great new addition to the sometimes lackluster Landing dining options.
Stopped by with some friends on Wed after Artwalk and had a great time. A cup of their potato leek soup (which is amazing btw), a shrimp boxty, and a couple Black Velvets were perfect to take the December chill off after walking around DT.