Gibbs Subs Riverside

DavidWilliams · May 24, 2011, 05:57:58 PM

Anyone know info on the sudden closing of Gibbs? I would go in about once a week and it wasn't bad. Went in one day and they were pretty busy, came back a couple days later and the place was empty. Seems they had a captive customer base with St Vincents etc.

I hate seeing my dining options diminish.

riverside_mail · May 24, 2011, 06:18:42 PM

From my understanding, the rent was killing them.

Ajax · May 24, 2011, 06:35:18 PM

Yes, I'm really sad about this. I really liked it there, and the husband & wife that ran the place were good people. I would have never known they were in trouble because up until the last time I ate there the food was still great - they weren't skimping on the ingredients like a lot of restaurants do as they wind down. And they treated my kids like gold every time we went there - that's a pretty quick and easy way to win me over. I hope I run into them again.

JeffreyS · May 24, 2011, 06:54:40 PM

I really liked them too do they own the Gibbs in Orange Park?

ChriswUfGator · May 24, 2011, 07:00:08 PM

The place was always packed, so if they couldn't make a go of it despite being busy all the time, then somebody miscalculated when negotiating the lease.

ubben · May 24, 2011, 10:35:31 PM

I have another theory. The owners insisted on playing Fox News nonstop on their dining room television station and turned a lot of folks in Riverside/Avondale off. I have two friends who asked them on separate occasions to change the station to anything else and they wouldn't. That's just not going to fly in the Urban Core. It was a ghost town most of the day. They'd probably do better out in Maclenny.

RiversideLoki · May 24, 2011, 11:02:39 PM

ubben, as much as an extreme left wing liberal as I am, I simply refuse to let that explanation fly and I call shenanigans. The place did very well with the st. vincents crowd. I highly doubt what was on the TV had anything to do with it.

ChriswUfGator · May 25, 2011, 04:01:26 AM

Quote from: ubben on May 24, 2011, 10:35:31 PM
I have another theory. The owners insisted on playing Fox News nonstop on their dining room television station and turned a lot of folks in Riverside/Avondale off. I have two friends who asked them on separate occasions to change the station to anything else and they wouldn't. That's just not going to fly in the Urban Core. It was a ghost town most of the day. They'd probably do better out in Maclenny.

As annoying as that is, I never went in there that it wasn't busy. I'd be the first one to love that explanation, but from everything I saw the place was always busy right up to the end. I think the explanation of ill-conceived overhead levels is probably far more likely.

Dog Walker · May 25, 2011, 08:34:52 AM

One of the Acosta-Rua brothers owns that building so the requirement to run Fox news on the TV might have been written into the lease.

riverside planner · May 25, 2011, 08:41:33 AM

Given the bible quotes scattered around the walls, my theory on their closure is rapture preparation. All kidding aside, the food was good even if the politics were opposite mine. I hate to see local businesses fail.

Garden guy · May 25, 2011, 08:55:59 AM

I heard that they hadn't paid rent in many months...sucks to loose a good lunch spot but maybe something cooler will replace it...good locations are hard to turn down.

Shwaz · May 25, 2011, 09:57:27 AM

The food was much too good to gripe over a muted television + the opposite wall had ESPN going at all times so there was an alternative.

Not sure how much the rent was but the location is great and the building is solid... ever notice that inside the restaurant you never heard any of the street traffic. Riverside Ave is super busy on that stretch and even with all the cars & buses going by it was completely silent inside.

RIP Gibbs

wsansewjs · May 25, 2011, 10:18:24 AM

The owners of Gibbs were heavily involved in the pyramid marketing known as Mona Vie.

-Josh

ChriswUfGator · May 25, 2011, 10:41:22 AM

Quote from: wsansewjs on May 25, 2011, 10:18:24 AM
The owners of Gibbs were heavily involved in the pyramid marketing known as Mona Vie.

-Josh

What's that? I see those stickers all over a bunch of SUVs in town...I thought for sure it was like Salt Life or something.

Is it a product?

iluvolives · May 25, 2011, 10:43:01 AM

Quote from: ChriswUfGator on May 25, 2011, 10:41:22 AM
Quote from: wsansewjs on May 25, 2011, 10:18:24 AM
The owners of Gibbs were heavily involved in the pyramid marketing known as Mona Vie.

-Josh

What's that? I see those stickers all over a bunch of SUVs in town...I thought for sure it was like Salt Life or something.

Is it a product?

Its weight loss shakes/ meal replacements I think.