Cafe 331 Closes

[thelakelander]

Add Cafe 331 to the list of downtown retailers who couldn't wait for Everbank, a convention center, transportation center or downtown task force to be assembled to study how to bring DT back from the grave.  I stopped by yesterday to learn that it would be their last day of operation.  I asked the owner if he considered trying to hold out for Everbank to make a decision and he told me it didn't matter what they did as long as JEA and the mortgage company still demands their monthly payments. 

In addition, the remaining restaurants in the AT&T Tower's cafeteria/food court area will be closing as well.  Two will shut down on Friday and the last is expected to close next month.

For all those pondering what to do with DT, just remember many of the people invested in DT right now can't financially afford to wait for a courthouse, Everbank or convention center.  DT needs sound solutions for creating pedestrian scale traffic immediately, more than anything else.

[Bativac]

My wife worked for a Curves gym in the AT&T building a couple years back. They closed down a while ago. Combination of rent and lack of business. Signage for that building isn't great - heck it isn't great for any of the businesses downtown contained in large buildings. That needs to change ASAP.

It's a shame about Cafe 331.

[Dapperdan]

Unless you know, there is no way of telling there were even stores in the At&T building. Why is everything so hidden?

[thelakelander]

The AT&T building needs a complete makeover on the ground level.  Not only is it uninviting from the outside, its pretty dark and dreary on the inside and its difficult to find the retailers even if you do make it past the front door.  It kind of feels like they really want their tenants to fail.

[duvaldude08]

Yeah I agree. These resturants needs to be exposed at street level. Aside from Cafe 331, I didnt know anything exsisting inside the At&T building. This is one of the pressing issues that needs to be resovled DT.

[RiversideLoki]

I had some good times at 331... but I'd recently stopped going because I'm not all that into the Industrial scene. Though I have a lot of friends that said Factory was always a blast. I'm sad to see them go, but not entirely surprised.

[manasia]

RIP to another downtown Business.

[jcjohnpaint]

Just more proof that it isn't the megaprojects, but the bad policy of DT.  Until policy is corrected, the downtown will not be saved by a Convention Center, or EverBank deal

[RiversideLoki]

It's a bit more comprehensive than that. The big projects bring people into downtown, but only for an hour or two and only that one location.

Even the bars of the core only bring people in at night, and only to those locations. Everything else is boarded up at night.

IMO, there's no vibrancy without variety. Let's take the (unfortunate) example of SJTC for example. No one says "Ugh, I hate having to go downtown to the Apple Store. But at least I can walk around a bit and do some shopping until my applecare appointment time comes."

It's the big stores within walking distance of the littler stores that draw in the foot traffic and the reason to develop retail in an area to begin with.

Let's take a major modern urban core like NYC for example. Millions of people live, work, and play in a relatively small area because everything they need, and indeed WANT, is close at hand. In our situation I'll admit that it's a case of "which will come first? The retail, or the residents?" But when I can stay at my friend's apartment, and go downstairs to street level to a Walgreens (or an Apple store) and get whatever I need.. .and hey.. what's that little store over there?

We can build all of the large projects we want, and we can build all of the little bodegas that we want. But if people have no reason to be there, they won't go.

[iMarvin]

It's a bit more comprehensive than that. The big projects bring people into downtown, but only for an hour or two and only that one location.

Even the bars of the core only bring people in at night, and only to those locations. Everything else is boarded up at night.

IMO, there's no vibrancy without variety. Let's take the (unfortunate) example of SJTC for example. No one says "Ugh, I hate having to go downtown to the Apple Store. But at least I can walk around a bit and do some shopping until my applecare appointment time comes."

It's the big stores within walking distance of the littler stores that draw in the foot traffic and the reason to develop retail in an area to begin with.

Let's take a major modern urban core like NYC for example. Millions of people live, work, and play in a relatively small area because everything they need, and indeed WANT, is close at hand. In our situation I'll admit that it's a case of "which will come first? The retail, or the residents?" But when I can stay at my friend's apartment, and go downstairs to street level to a Walgreens (or an Apple store) and get whatever I need.. .and hey.. what's that little store over there?

We can build all of the large projects we want, and we can build all of the little bodegas that we want. But if people have no reason to be there, they won't go.

+1

[KuroiKetsunoHana]

jacksonville is rotting from the inside out.

[tufsu1]

I agree this is sad...I went to 331, but rarely.

Here's why....I sent some folks to Cafe 331 last year after a workshop downtown....the next day I got "thanks for sending us a to a dirty biker/hair band bar"

[manasia]

It's a bit more comprehensive than that. The big projects bring people into downtown, but only for an hour or two and only that one location.

Even the bars of the core only bring people in at night, and only to those locations. Everything else is boarded up at night.

IMO, there's no vibrancy without variety. Let's take the (unfortunate) example of SJTC for example. No one says "Ugh, I hate having to go downtown to the Apple Store. But at least I can walk around a bit and do some shopping until my applecare appointment time comes."

It's the big stores within walking distance of the littler stores that draw in the foot traffic and the reason to develop retail in an area to begin with.

Let's take a major modern urban core like NYC for example. Millions of people live, work, and play in a relatively small area because everything they need, and indeed WANT, is close at hand. In our situation I'll admit that it's a case of "which will come first? The retail, or the residents?" But when I can stay at my friend's apartment, and go downstairs to street level to a Walgreens (or an Apple store) and get whatever I need.. .and hey.. what's that little store over there?

We can build all of the large projects we want, and we can build all of the little bodegas that we want. But if people have no reason to be there, they won't go.

Awesome Analysis.

[duvaldude08]

I hate to hear any DT business closing. However Cafe 331 is just wasnt that popular. Everybody I know went like once and never went back. I been there once my self and ummm... anyways lol Its sad to hear about them closing. Now the two inside the At&T are definately closing because nobody knows they are in there. LOL

[John P]

It's a bit more comprehensive than that. The big projects bring people into downtown, but only for an hour or two and only that one location.

Even the bars of the core only bring people in at night, and only to those locations. Everything else is boarded up at night.

IMO, there's no vibrancy without variety. Let's take the (unfortunate) example of SJTC for example. No one says "Ugh, I hate having to go downtown to the Apple Store. But at least I can walk around a bit and do some shopping until my applecare appointment time comes."

It's the big stores within walking distance of the littler stores that draw in the foot traffic and the reason to develop retail in an area to begin with.

Let's take a major modern urban core like NYC for example. Millions of people live, work, and play in a relatively small area because everything they need, and indeed WANT, is close at hand. In our situation I'll admit that it's a case of "which will come first? The retail, or the residents?" But when I can stay at my friend's apartment, and go downstairs to street level to a Walgreens (or an Apple store) and get whatever I need.. .and hey.. what's that little store over there?

We can build all of the large projects we want, and we can build all of the little bodegas that we want. But if people have no reason to be there, they won't go.

Awesome Analysis.

It all comes back to 1 thing. Downtown housing. Downtown will not succeed without more residents. Its that simple. Higher popularity and density in the urban neighbirhoods surronding downtown is somewhat helpful but it doesnt really do the job. Downtown housing. Downtown housing. Downtown housing. Mayor Brown will need to rollout incentives for this to happen and I have a feeling hes listening to the right people.