QuotePanera Bread in San Marco to close
The Panera Bread restaurant in San Marco is scheduled to close in December.
AccuBuild Development Corp. President and landlord of the property Mark Rubin confirmed that the bakery-cafe company opted not to renew its lease. Under the terms of the current lease Panera Bread must vacate the building at 1615 Hendricks Ave. by Dec. 31.
http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/10/19/daily25.html
Wow - didn't see that one coming. There's currently a Panera under construction in front of the now CLOSED Stein Mart in Fleming Island. I wonder if it's the same ownership group.
that's surprising...
Seriously? That place is always packed, maybe they'll just move somewhere else in San Marco. :-\
Truly amazing hown San Marco has so many closings of late with thier relatively high average income. Perhaps the area isn't dense enough yet to support all these shops. I know the Pennisula & Strand aren't anywhere near full.
I'm guessing that this has more to do with the landlord than market conditions.
Well, maybe we can get them to relocate to Springfield or the vacant 11E space....get to work Stephen!
Wow! nice work Stephen! I say the space at 11E, even though I live in Springfield!
even with all the closings in the area, San Marco is hardly empty....that's because new stores opn.
In the case of Panera, the owner has been tryinmg to sell/lease the land in front of the restaurant for another user....but since the site is so small, they've had no luck....perhaps they raised the lease rates as a way of getting Panera to move...then they can tear down the building and redevelop the entire site to a higher density.
i think 11 east would be a better option right now. i live in springfield, but i would doubt any chain would come into springfield right now. Springfield needs a bunch of homegrown storefronts before something like panera would move in.
:o :o :o :o :o
Wow. I was just there, twice in the past week!
11E would be nice for them, but would they be able to expand a bit in that space? It's kinda small for the typical Panera layout.
^ I think the square foot area of that space would be more in line with what a Panera Needs as well.
What about the building just south of Chan's?
Quote from: untarded on October 20, 2009, 05:08:01 PM
What about the building just south of Chan's?
Has environmental issues, and the owner (Hionides) doesn't want to do anything with the building until it is cleared (this may have happened, I haven't looked into it in a while)
What about 9th and Main as a Springfield spot?
3rd & Main still has a few retail spaces available? How much space are they looking for?
^ May be a feasible location, but I would love to see them in a building that is vacant and would create another traffic node.
Very true.
Being able to bake bread there is also a concern, I don't think they can have that type of equipment there, can they?
Drove by Panera's tonight. The sign in front says 5,900 sf available so this must be what they have now.
I would think the Springfield area is a different market from San Marco and locating a store in one place or the other would be a somewhat independent decision. In other words, if the support is present, they could have a store in both locations. Alternatively, closing one store would not necessarily justify the opening of the other.
Quote from: stephendare on October 20, 2009, 05:02:46 PM
I just talked with Kevin, and he thinks that the old Boomtown Space would be a better fit.
Phil Neary has the parking lot in the back accessible from the alley. He'd rent space for parking...
Quote from: stjr on October 20, 2009, 07:48:01 PM
Drove by Panera's tonight. The sign in front says 5,900 sf available so this must be what they have now.
I would think the Springfield area is a different market from San Marco and locating a store in one place or the other would be a somewhat independent decision. In other words, if the support is present, they could have a store in both locations. Alternatively, closing one store would not necessarily justify the opening of the other.
I think the 5,900sf is the extra land that Accubuild has been trying to sell/lease for sevral years.
As for tpringfield/San Marco thing, I agree...it makes sense for Panera to stay in the San Marco area...or maybe even Lakewood since Atlanta Bread closed.
We always wondered who'd buy that tiny strip of land there, there's absolutely no room for extra parking because Panera's lot is always full and laid out like a puzzle.
Here is the T-U's version on Panera-San Marco:QuoteSan Marco Panera Bread landlord says restaurant closing
Has not renewed on lease to allow operation past Dec. 31
* By Kevin Turner
* Story updated at 5:27 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009
A Panera Bread location in San Marco that had operated since 2000 has opted not to renew on its lease that ends Dec. 31, according to a representative for the location at 1615 Hendricks Avenue.
I. Mark Rubin, president of Accubuild Companies, said his firm is landlord for the Richmond Heights, Mo.-based restaurant, and said that it had opted to not exercise a five-year lease renewal option allowing the lease to continue from Jan. 1, 2010 forward. That means the restaurant has to clear out of the space by Dec. 31, he said.
“They really didn’t provide any information,†Rubin said. “It’s a shame they’re not [staying]. They’re a good offering for San Marco.â€
Rubin said it’s especially unfortunate because Panera was one of the first national tenants to come into San Marco after an effort to attract such business there.
“It was a re-gentrification of San Marco,†he said. “We started the re-development of San Marco in 1995. Our fingerprints are on most of the buildings in San Marco.â€
The loss of a business in the area won’t last for too long, Rubin said.
“We’re working with a number of other retailers who are anxious to go in and replace them,†he said.
Panera Bread’s vice president of public relations couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.
http://jacksonville.com/business/2009-10-20/story/san_marco_panera_bread_landlord_says_restaurant_closing
This is a real shame. I go to this Panera at least once a week. Their coffee is excellent, I like their bagels (yeah, yeah, I know), and the employees are always pleasant. I hope they're able to find decent jobs elsewhere. My dad and I checked into some San Marco places out of curiosity (we were gonna open an art gallery) and the rents are pretty outrageous. My fiancee worked for a lady who owned a Curves gym in San Marco and had to shut it down due to the high rent (well, that and the outrageous franchise fees). Are landlords really that greedy and short sighted?
Can someone reccommend another Panera-ish type of place that's open on weekends where I can get a good cup of coffee and a chocolate chip bagel?
Quote from: Bativacquote author=Bativac link=topic=6478.msg104843#msg104843 date=1256125920]
Are landlords really that greedy and short sighted?
Yes they are.
And from seeing the phone numbers on a lot of realty signs, there are also a lot of long distance landlords that have no clue how bad it has been in Jax.
Any closing in this economy is not good.
How could landlords possibly be greedy when there are so many places available? It is definitely a renters' market.
A renter in hand is better than potential renters in the bush.
Aren't these the same guys that got into a fuss with RAP over moving an historic house for a new development?
Quote from: Ernest Street on October 21, 2009, 09:51:41 AM
Quote from: Bativacquote author=Bativac link=topic=6478.msg104843#msg104843 date=1256125920]
Are landlords really that greedy and short sighted?
Yes they are.
And from seeing the phone numbers on a lot of realty signs, there are also a lot of long distance landlords that have no clue how bad it has been in Jax.
I noticed the same thing. Out of town landlords are disconnected from the local reality, I guess. So what happens? The rent is too high, nobody can afford it, the economy slows, more businesses shut down, more buildings are empty... and businesses that CAN afford the rent don't want to be the only shop open in the middle of a ghost town...
So the buildings sit vacant forever? Why don't they, I don't know, lower the rent to start, with an option to increase the rent at the end of a term specified in the lease contract?
I don't expect property owners to "care" about the local economy, but from a business standpoint, if you can turn the area into a "hip" place by lowering the rents and allowing more interesting shops to move in, you'll reap a greater benefit than just letting the building sit vacant until someone is willing to pay your outrageous monthly rent... right?
From my experience, while searching for my brewery location, is that most landlords in this town would rather have an empty building than take $2 less a square foot. They also want you, as the tenant, to make improvements to their building in exchange for the "privilege" to lease from them.
I have a friend in San Marco whose landlord raised his rent and he had to sell his business. Shocking in this market, but in-town property owners are just as clueless.
Most landlords in this town get what they deserve...(maybe I should not have said that!)
Quote from: lindab on October 21, 2009, 10:30:08 AM
Aren't these the same guys that got into a fuss with RAP over moving an historic house for a new development?
Yes. He also was proposing a 4 or 5 story project that would have been shoe-horned on the corner lot by Mossfire Grill. That lot has been entitled through a PUD, cleared and is now on the market for what I understand to be a ludicrous amount of money. In my experience, he has not been the most reasonable person to work with.
Quote from: thirdeye on October 21, 2009, 11:21:19 AM
From my experience, while searching for my brewery location, is that most landlords in this town would rather have an empty building than take $2 less a square foot. They also want you, as the tenant, to make improvements to their building in exchange for the "privilege" to lease from them.
I have a friend in San Marco whose landlord raised his rent and he had to sell his business. Shocking in this market, but in-town property owners are just as clueless.
Most landlords in this town get what they deserve...(maybe I should not have said that!)
This seems to be the case in some vacant downtown locations as well. Property owners are unwilling to perform basic upgrades to their property (seriously -- who wants to rent a space with no air conditioning in Florida?! What kind of customers do they expect you to get?) and are of the mind that the space is "worth" something, despite that same space having been vacant for months or years.
This makes it difficult for us would-be entrepeneurs to get a business going, outside of running it out of our living rooms (which in my case has worked thus far but just barely). The greed is absurd. I am all for making as much money as legally possible but come on... you aren't gonna make ANY money if you are totally unwilling to make any concessions. That's just common business sense.
I was just thinking... that "for sale" sign next to Panera has been there for a long time. Several months in fact.
Oh well. Parking was a ***** anyway, so going there for lunch was not always practical.
And I can always go to the Roosevelt location if I get a craving.
Quote from: Dan B on October 20, 2009, 05:10:49 PM
Quote from: untarded on October 20, 2009, 05:08:01 PM
What about the building just south of Chan's?
Has environmental issues, and the owner (Hionides) doesn't want to do anything with the building until it is cleared (this may have happened, I haven't looked into it in a while)
Just spoke to Petras property manager about this building. He said while the environmental are still a concern, they are going to try to put a plan together to make it lease-able in the not too horribly distant future. This is great news, even just a new roof and some glass would make that building a real gem again.
They never would have had this problem if they did like I’ve always suggested and changed their name to Pantera Bread.
That would be the most metal of breads. RORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Not a bad idea, that's what the guys from the Metalocalypse did for coffee. ::death-metal voice:: Do you folks like coffee? real coffee? From the hills of Columbia..........french vanilla roast, time for a cup!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4zYdav57SA
Quote from: Bewler on November 06, 2009, 03:12:46 PM
They never would have had this problem if they did like I’ve always suggested and changed their name to Pantera Bread.
You keep this LOAF! (wheat) LOAF! (rye) LOAF! (white)
You keep this LOAF! LOAF! LOAF!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHnigAMBNc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHnigAMBNc)
I'll have to check it out later Dave, Youtube is currently inaccessible for me.
Quote from: Traveller on November 06, 2009, 03:56:27 PM
You keep this LOAF! (wheat) LOAF! (rye) LOAF! (white)
You keep this LOAF! LOAF! LOAF!
HAHAHA, good one. That’ll be the official song.
As for a slogan?
“We’re baking over this townâ€
Quote from: Traveller on November 06, 2009, 03:56:27 PM
Quote from: Bewler on November 06, 2009, 03:12:46 PM
They never would have had this problem if they did like I’ve always suggested and changed their name to Pantera Bread.
You keep this LOAF! (wheat) LOAF! (rye) LOAF! (white)
You keep this LOAF! LOAF! LOAF!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHnigAMBNc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsHnigAMBNc)
That is really funny! Dimebag Darrel would be proud! ;D
Looks like they closed up shop within the past 48 hours. I went to grab a bagel yesterday morning and it was totally empty inside, doors locked. They moved out with haste!
Yep. all the furniture is going to be for sale at the ReStore on Beach Blvd. Check out this article.
http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2009/12/14/daily18.html?ed=2009-12-16&ana=e_du_pub
Has anyone heard what - if anything - is going in to replace the Panera? And when? My friends say they saw someone walking around the outside, maybe measuring for a patio. A sports bar would be cool as I don't think there really is one in/near the square. (?)
San Marco Ale House?
Maybe a REAL bagel store will replace it? Doubtful, but one can wish!
Quote from: copperfiend on April 15, 2010, 11:18:04 AM
San Marco Ale House?
This is what I was thinking should replace it. The Loop just doesn't really cut it for a bar and grill type place. The Alehouse format would be ideal. I'd open one myself if I had the resources.
I like this idea. But is the building itself large enough to accomadate an Ale House? They're usually pretty big.
I wouldn't think so, unless they were planning to add a couple of floors to it, that place is waaaay too small for something like an Ale House or any sports bar that wants to cater to more than one game/sport at once.
Why not make it a Native Sun or some other natural foods market???? I don't think there is a grocery store really close to that area.
Publix will be close (hopefully).
Quote from: thekillingwax on April 15, 2010, 02:05:45 PM
I wouldn't think so, unless they were planning to add a couple of floors to it, that place is waaaay too small for something like an Ale House or any sports bar that wants to cater to more than one game/sport at once.
There is the grassy area to the north of the current structure that could allow for expansion.
Quote from: bankon1t on April 15, 2010, 02:55:40 PM
Why not make it a Native Sun or some other natural foods market???? I don't think there is a grocery store really close to that area.
Matthew's Market was similar to this and failed. Grassroots Market is nearby in 5 points. What those stores don't provide, Publix will.
I think an Ale House (or something similar) or a small grocery store would be great for the area. It might be tricky though because that spot doesn't have the best parking lot. I remember going for lunch at Panera's during the week, we used to have park in the Library parking lot...
How bout we demolish the library to make way for more bar parking?
Quote from: Bewler on April 15, 2010, 04:06:40 PM
How bout we demolish the library to make way for more bar parking?
Funny Joke. Don't give anyone any ideas. With the library gone, the tennis courts and the whole area would make for a great Walmart location.
I'm imagining something like Mudville or Players, but nicer...and cleaner.
How about a second Three layers location.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on April 15, 2010, 04:16:34 PM
Quote from: Bewler on April 15, 2010, 04:06:40 PM
How bout we demolish the library to make way for more bar parking?
Funny Joke. Don't give anyone any ideas. With the library gone, the tennis courts and the whole area would make for a great Walmart location.
I'm imagining something like Mudville or Players, but nicer...and cleaner.
Then the homeless will only have Jerry Moran's stoop to piss on.
I was biking this weekend and rode past the former Panera. Anybody heard any rumblings about another business moving in? Seems kind of short sighted of the landlord... rather have the building sit empty and unused than with a rent-paying tenant not paying as much as the landlord thinks it's worth.
Hurricane Wings will be taking up part of the space. I heard.
The sign for Hurricane's was up yesterday.
Anybody know a timeline on Hurricanes? Would be awesome if this was a sports bar type place. Lots of tvs...
Hurricanes might be the fastest growing chain in Jax these days...
QuoteWould be awesome if this was a sports bar type place. Lots of tvs
It's your lucky day - that is EXACTLY what you're gonna get - plus, for bar food, I think that they're above average.
Another possible tenant to offer breakfast! An outdoor courtyard! A water feature!
QuoteHurricane Grill & Wings will take half the former Panera Bread space in San Marco.
The restaurant chain, based in West Palm Beach, will take 3,000 square feet of the building and will build an outdoor courtyard with a seating area and a water feature on the north side of the building adjacent to a vacant lot.
AccuBuild Development Corp. President Mark Rubin, the property’s landlord, said he expects the Hurricane Grill space to be completed by October. He is still looking for another tenant, probably a restaurant with a breakfast menu, to take the other half of the 6,000-square-foot building around the same time.
The building at 1615 Hendricks Ave. has been vacant since December, when Panera Bread abruptly ended its lease over a rental rate dispute in which a new corporate policy mandated that rental rates be reduced at all Panera locations nationwide, Rubin said.
Despite that dispute, Rubin said he had lots of interest from potential users but chose Hurricane Grill because it offered something that wasn’t available in San Marco and because it offered lunch and dinner menu items.
Hurricane Grill operates 36 restaurants, mostly in Florida, including five in the Jacksonville area.
Read more: Hurricane Grill moving into Panera space in San Marco - Jacksonville Business Journal
http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2010/08/16/daily4.html
Quote from: JC on April 15, 2010, 04:35:07 PM
Quote from: Captain Zissou on April 15, 2010, 04:16:34 PM
Quote from: Bewler on April 15, 2010, 04:06:40 PM
How bout we demolish the library to make way for more bar parking?
Funny Joke. Don't give anyone any ideas. With the library gone, the tennis courts and the whole area would make for a great Walmart location.
I'm imagining something like Mudville or Players, but nicer...and cleaner.
Then the homeless will only have Jerry Moran's stoop to piss on.
Piss, or...?
Something tells me you never heard about the knothead video...