QuoteUnity Plaza has been slow in bringing restaurant traffic to Hobnob, so the owner has adjusted its regular hours and added new menu items.
Owner Ellen Cottrill said the restaurant will be open to guests Thursday through Sunday and will rent the main dining room and adjacent event space for private and corporate events Monday through Wednesday.
"We opened here because we were excited about the opportunity and how it was going to be a central place for the city in terms of entertainment and events," she said. "What we're finding is if we were in San Marco or Five Points it would be different, because there are people walking by, but here we're a destination and we're finding that people need to have a reason to come here."
Cottrill added, "It was promised to be the Central Park of Jacksonville and it's been a little slow in developing, so that's affected our business and that's why we're adjusting our hours."
Full article: http://jacksonville.com/business/food-and-dining/2017-06-28/changes-announced-unity-plaza-s-hobnob
^ The Central Park of Jacksonville? Haha How could anybody that knew what was being built, think that? It's about as uninviting a place to go as there is in the city. I'd rather go to Hemming park any day over Unity Plaza.
The sacrificial suckers who have lost their private money investments.
WWTBGD
I feel for them, but the real crime was the "central park" of Jacksonville. Grass surrounding a retention pond and two six lane streets that were designed as surface highways?
Shocking it didn't work.
I don't really blame the restaurant people - they know food, not urban planning. How the rhetoric started and sustained on "central park" is unreal.
I do think that having a lower cost option in Spraga's space would be better. I like Hobnob, but I'm not going to spend that amount of money every night.
^Don't forget the luxurious dirt parking lot that you get to park in...
I wish the wine prices were a little cheaper. I would go there for a glass of wine after dinner occasionally if they were.
I keep hearing Unity Retention Pond being compared to Central Park. I get that this was probably in the promotional materials, but really? Have these people ever been to or seen Central Park? Can they not google 'Central Park' and see that it's physically impossible and financially improbable? "Well, I was promised this empty lot was going to be the Taj Mahal of Jacksonville, but we're just not seeing it...YET."
Quote from: remc86007 on June 29, 2017, 02:33:28 PM
^Don't forget the luxurious dirt parking lot that you get to park in...
The place was sold. Which triggered new parking issues. Maybe , Friedman, Bauerlein, or the 3 guys that we're at the Noticed meeting can explain the new parking options. WWTBGD
Was the place sold like Berkman Plaza, Plaza at Berkman?
Is anybody surprised? You can't even tell there is a restaurant there while you drive by at 45 MPH.
Was there 7/3/17 and noticed a new monument in the Public Park.
QuoteIs anybody surprised? You can't even tell there is a restaurant there while you drive by at 45 MPH.
Who actually travels past 5 points on Park to get to Brooklyn. There is no need for a few restaurants and a fountain.
I think the only people who bought that it was a good idea were the people who bought 220 from hallmark. it seems to me it was developed as an amenity for the flip of the property to an investor as much as hallmark thinking it was a bang up idea
They will hopefully long term see an uptick with more development there. That hotel would be clutch on Forest across the street from the plaza there. Of course Vista will bring a lot of people there as well. But Central Park? Really? lol
Quote from: FlaBoy on July 07, 2017, 05:09:24 PM
They will hopefully long term see an uptick with more development there. That hotel would be clutch on Forest across the street from the plaza there. Of course Vista will bring a lot of people there as well. But Central Park? Really? lol
A 90-100 room boutique hotel would do well in Brooklyn and would get a lot of business travelers during the week. Most of my vendors stay on the southbank when they visit. I'm sure the same thing happens with people who visit Black Knight, Everbank, BCBS, or any other Brooklyn based office.
Quote from: JaxAvondale on July 07, 2017, 07:22:40 PM
Quote from: FlaBoy on July 07, 2017, 05:09:24 PM
They will hopefully long term see an uptick with more development there. That hotel would be clutch on Forest across the street from the plaza there. Of course Vista will bring a lot of people there as well. But Central Park? Really? lol
A 90-100 room boutique hotel would do well in Brooklyn and would get a lot of business travelers during the week. Most of my vendors stay on the southbank when they visit. I'm sure the same thing happens with people who visit Black Knight, Everbank, BCBS, or any other Brooklyn based office.
Why not do a hotel next to the YMCA on that land they're currently using as parking? Makes it close to the river, puts it right on Riverside Ave, while still being across the street from Unity?
I think YMCA would have to agree to that??
Quote from: marcuscnelson on July 08, 2017, 01:23:04 AM
Quote from: JaxAvondale on July 07, 2017, 07:22:40 PM
Quote from: FlaBoy on July 07, 2017, 05:09:24 PM
They will hopefully long term see an uptick with more development there. That hotel would be clutch on Forest across the street from the plaza there. Of course Vista will bring a lot of people there as well. But Central Park? Really? lol
A 90-100 room boutique hotel would do well in Brooklyn and would get a lot of business travelers during the week. Most of my vendors stay on the southbank when they visit. I'm sure the same thing happens with people who visit Black Knight, Everbank, BCBS, or any other Brooklyn based office.
Why not do a hotel next to the YMCA on that land they're currently using as parking? Makes it close to the river, puts it right on Riverside Ave, while still being across the street from Unity?
That would be a great spot for a hotel.
Quote from: Keith-N-Jax on July 08, 2017, 01:48:12 AM
I think YMCA would have to agree to that??
Yes, the Y owns that land. I believe that they want any deal to include shared use of a parking garage.
Quote from: JaxAvondale on July 09, 2017, 05:26:57 PM
Quote from: Keith-N-Jax on July 08, 2017, 01:48:12 AM
I think YMCA would have to agree to that??
Yes, the Y owns that land. I believe that they want any deal to include shared use of a parking garage.
Their master site plan for the original project includes plans for a 8-story mixed-use structure with a 3-story parking garage.
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-jan-riverside-ymca-project-approved
I'd think that you could probably get a slightly larger footprint structure (maybe ground-floor retail along Riverside with hotel entrances on Riverside and Jackson?) by making the parking garage a story or two taller.
So they are serving 3 dinners and 2 brunches per week. Can a restaurant pay the rent or keep the lights on when they aren't even open for more than half the week? Can they retain talented kitchen and wait staff if they aren't able to offer anyone more than a few shifts a week?
It sounds like they believed a bunch of ridiculous hype about 220 Riverside, and Brooklyn in general.
If they can fill the restaurant for all services Th-Su, then I'd have to say yes. Probably not making much money, but any profit is still profit, right?
Lower overall overhead & one food order per week. Weathering the storm.
Have to imagine their rent has been reduced as well. At this point it is either that or another empty block for the owners.
Looks like Hob Nob is done as a restaurant:
The restaurant opened in Brooklyn in 2016. The company is still offering private dining and event meetings but is closing the dine-in restaurant.Per the https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/01/09/hobnob-food-social-exchange-announces-closing.html?ana=e_jac_bn&u=bcQncpcx33EQG7jYW52FGg0dcc0289&t=1515519390&j=79474581
Too bad, but not surprising. I was there last week at happy hour and my group were literally the only ones in the place besides one guy at the bar.
http://jacksonville.com/business/food-and-dining/2018-01-24/restaurant-closes-jacksonville-s-brooklyn-station-riverside (http://jacksonville.com/business/food-and-dining/2018-01-24/restaurant-closes-jacksonville-s-brooklyn-station-riverside)
Another Brooklyn eatery shuts it's doors. GrabbaGreen closes.
So far Corner Bakery (replaced by First Watch), Grabba Green, Hob Nob and Spraga & Co have closed in this area.
I bet a Chik-Fil-A would have no problem, if you know what I mean.
^I heard Grabbagreen wasn't that great, but I've never been. I go to Tossgreen downtown a couple times a week and they're always busy and are currently hiring.
Some tenants at Brooklyn station are doing extremely well, so I'd say it's more on the retailer and not the environment or property itself.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on January 24, 2018, 01:52:04 PM
^I heard Grabbagreen wasn't that great, but I've never been. I go to Tossgreen downtown a couple times a week and they're always busy and are currently hiring.
Some tenants at Brooklyn station are doing extremely well, so I'd say it's more on the retailer and not the environment or property itself.
With Brooklyn Station I completely agree, though I've see Burrito Gallery slow on some weekends. First Watch was packed last time I went there for Brunch on a weekend. BurgerFi doesn't seem to have a problem, and I bet Zoe's could make it on corporate catering alone (but does a good lunch business as well).
Unity Plaza is a different animal entirely.
I'm curious about the demographic that is living in the new apartments at Brooklyn.
Also, the owner of HobNob was on WJCT and said "we were promised over 100 events per year at Unity Plaza."
Who did the promising, the developer or COJ? I don't remember.
Quote from: MusicMan on January 24, 2018, 05:29:15 PM
I'm curious about the demographic that is living in the new apartments at Brooklyn.
Also, the owner of HobNob was on WJCT and said "we were promised over 100 events per year at Unity Plaza."
Who did the promising, the developer or COJ? I don't remember.
Both. The Brown administration struck a bad deal with no way to hold the developer to actually doing the events, or what the events would be. So the owners copped out.
A yoga session of five people was considered an event. The space is a bad one, in that you can't really see it from the street. Nevertheless, Hobnob needs to take responsibility on itself for not doing their proper site selection homework.
On Saturday there was a guy hauling supplied from HobNob to his food truck. Maybe the 'special event business' isn't working either. Wish they would just bring in a Buffalo Wild Wings. We could use a good sports bar with normal prices.