Not surprising. However, its good to see Olio still doing well.
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2012-09-04/story/duval-courthouse-move-leaves-bay-street-eateries-empty-lunch
the article is correct, there are plenty of street spaces available over there now.
So the What's Good restaurant is gone? Can't say that I ever visited the place. (As a Berkman resident, It would have been great to have a 7-11 open at that spot though.... ) I know downtown isn't an easy place to operate a restaurant but it seems you kinda back yourself in a hole when you solely are only serving the workday crowds. For those of us that actually do live downtown, it would be nice to have other dining options, not to mention I'm still sure the late night club crowds would love to have places close by to eat also.
Quote from: comncense on September 04, 2012, 01:30:16 PM
So the What's Good restaurant is gone? Can't say that I ever visited the place. (As a Berkman resident, It would have been great to have a 7-11 open at that spot though.... ) I know downtown isn't an easy place to operate a restaurant but it seems you kinda back yourself in a hole when you solely are only serving the workday crowds. For those of us that actually do live downtown, it would be nice to have other dining options, not to mention I'm still sure the late night club crowds would love to have places close by to eat also.
I agree. I never knew the resturant was even there until recently.
Is Underbelly still open for lunch? I was surprised to see they were open at 11 in the morning.
last i heard they were.
What would your wish list be for the Blackstone spot be? Regular restaurant, Diner, Supper club... It would be nice to add some 'life' to that block. Is the surface parking lot that's to the left of the building 'their' parking lot?
Quote from: duvaldude08 on September 04, 2012, 01:31:54 PM
Quote from: comncense on September 04, 2012, 01:30:16 PM
So the What's Good restaurant is gone? Can't say that I ever visited the place. (As a Berkman resident, It would have been great to have a 7-11 open at that spot though.... ) I know downtown isn't an easy place to operate a restaurant but it seems you kinda back yourself in a hole when you solely are only serving the workday crowds. For those of us that actually do live downtown, it would be nice to have other dining options, not to mention I'm still sure the late night club crowds would love to have places close by to eat also.
I agree. I never knew the resturant was even there until recently.
Personally, it always felt like What's Good didn't even
try to succeed. I mean...they sold generic sandwiches on white Wonder bread with a side of Sysco macaroni salad sold from a tub. The "store" next door deals in .80 cent canned ravioli and cigarette lighters. Mind boggling why/how they thought that kind of business would succeed.
I live in the Churchwell Lofts, and ate at What's Good pretty often. Their breakfast sandwiches were good and inexpensive and the place was always busy when my son and I went in for breakfast.. They did a very healthy business at lunch time as well, both with the courthouse and cop shop crowds. The "store" was an ill-conceived strategy in hopes of expanding the business once the courthouse closed and the food business dried up, but never really took off.
Definitely not a "Foodies Dream", but still a good little place to grab a sandwich. Nice folks too. I'll miss the Oweis family (the owners) now that they've relocated to Orange Park.
East Bay is dying. :(
Well, the first thing to note is that Roger Bull, who wrote the article, doesn't seem to know east from west. He had What's Good west of the place in the Blackstone, and the pizza parlor - Northstar? - east of it. NOT!
The poor guy in the Blackstone who was trying to sell his business can sure forget it now, thanks to that nice article showing what a losing proposition it is now is.
It's funny, but in all my many years of practicing law, and a significant part of the time spent at the courthouse, there never was a half way good restaurant nearby. Olio is a nice exception, but why it opened there, so close to the time the courthouse was slated to move, is beyond me. For a brief while there was a club type operation in the Blackstone - The Jury Room. Emphasis on "brief." Everything else were just unremarkable sandwich shops. Why was that? Is it going to be different at the new location? Doesn't seem so, so far, but it's early. A re-opened Worman's would be able to mint money. Alas, no pastrami on rye for us!
Quote from: Pinky on September 04, 2012, 06:14:34 PM
East Bay is dying. :(
How are the bars on that strip doing? I was down there a few weeks ago and it appeared healthy.
I think the bars/clubs on Bay are still doing decent if not good. Mark's/Dive Bar, TSI, Underbelly... It would just be nice to add on some late night eating options on Bay Street. Olio tried it one weekend, but they weren't even open past 10pm. It's never really good to celebrate a local business closing, but I just hope that whatever businesses take over in these places fit with the entertainment/dining plan that supposedly was planned for East Bay Street.
^ Northstar is open late
Quote from: tufsu1 on September 04, 2012, 10:04:57 PM
^ Northstar is open late
I was just going to add that. I went there for the first time a few weeks ago and it was pretty good pizza. The chips and salsa is terrible (publix chips & publix jar salsa) a little disappointing, if there's 1 thing a bar should do good is bar food.
None the less, the beer selection was good, pizza was good and service was friendly.