Jerry Moran Might Be Exiting the City Core

[ronchamblin]

The following three things allowed me to conclude that Jerry is probably serious about leaving the core.  The first is his comments over the past year that he is thinking about leaving downtown.  As I mentioned on my first post, I thought this was just an exaggeration or a bluff, and that he actually liked being in the core.  The second is when, about two weeks ago, while I was getting a salad, his waitress, Vicky, mentioned that Jerry had been out looking at a building as a possible site for a move.  The third was when, about five days ago, Marlene, the other waitress, said that he was looking for a place to move the restaurant.

So, given these events, I can only assume that he is in fact, looking to move out of the core.  Is he bluffing, wishing to give the impression he is moving?  Could be.  But why would he?  As I've said, I haven't talked with him since.

The main thing I wanted to do is to express my hope that he does not move out of the core; and this, simply because I believe that overall he is a great asset, in spite of the negatives we all discussed concerning his rather insensitive treatment of the homeless and the vagrants.

My postings have also suggested that whereas Jerry and me began years ago with confronting the homeless/vagrant from opposite extremes, me being too naive in treating them with too much consideration and accommodation, and he, with too little regard for their plight, seemingly attacking them by any means, I have moved in his direction out of necessity, and he has remained steadfast in his outlook.

In any case, I suspect that most of us appreciate Jerry's ability to survive in the core, his hard work, and his willingness to speak his mind about issues.  If you're in a pinch, Jerry's the kind of guy to have around simply because he knows so much about how things work.  His ability to solve such a variety of problems is one reason he has survived in business, and continues to survive in the core.

The arguments we've engaged illustrates Metrojacksonville's value to the city.

[Bill Hoff]

ssky - If La Cena does as well as other restaurants taken to task by posters on MetroJacksonville, then I wouldn't worry....Moon River Pizza and Three Layers Cafe are doing quite well despite many, many pages of criticism. : )

[BridgeTroll]

Tell him to open a 200 seat restaurant in Avondale and enjoy the fireworks.

On the other hand... a small, intimate, upscale Italian restaurant would fit very well in Avondale...

[thelakelander]

Any idea on how many seats his current location has?

[bill]

Btw, what happened to Big Guy's post? I was trying to finish reading it when it suddenly disappeared. Is that also part of the moderation policy? As a "newbie" I really need some guidelines.
And, just as a matter of curiosity, if calling Jerry a misanthropic, inhumane jerk and a terrible human being is not a personal attack upon his character, then what is?  Thank you again for any and all insight as I navigate through the murky waters of my First Amendment rights on this forum.

Oh you are getting the hang of it. Personal attacks are OK if Stevie agrees with it or it fits his narrative. Point out what is stupid and incorrect and he cannot defend it then it gets omitted.


Der fuhrer does not like dissent from his narrative.

[ssky]

Ok, once and for all, I am not, nor shall I ever be, Jerry Moran. And, while I appreciate your helping hand with the use of the English language, I do indeed know what a red herring is. Ron's thread began with a discussion of the possibility that La Cena may leave the Urban Core. 

However, it quickly disintegrated into an assault on the man's character, and other random commentary that was fairly to completely irrelevant to the topic at hand. The point is  how much Downtown Jacksonville will suffer if it loses a prominent business that has survived in the core of the Core for ten years. It is not about Jerry's political views, his menu, his pricing or any of the myriad of topics that have served to distract from the true subject of the thread.

I posted because I believe this is very important for everyone involved in Downtown Jacksonville's future.  We can't keep losing business after business after business if we really want the UC to be viable. And, we can't keep going on random witch hunts just because certain people among us need a target.

I wasn't obsequious in my first post... I was just unpopular in my unwavering support. It seems utterly unbelievable to me that anyone who does not know Jerry, and has never eaten at his restaurant, feels qualified to judge him at all...let alone label him as being "hateful towards an entire class of human beings."

In conclusion, I respectfully agree to disagree. And, I can only hope that you find other criteria upon which to form your future opinions of people, places and things.

Oh, and btw, the First Amendment comment was tongue in cheek. Hopefully we do not have to consult Wiki about that one.

ssky -

Your First Amendment rights don't extend to this forum.

And I don't think you understand what a red herring is.

You may not be Jerry Moran. But you can't blame people for thinking you *might* be. No one faults you for taking issue with some of the things that were posted on this forum. But it's the obsequious manner you went about making the case for Jerry Moran that raised a lot of suspicions.

I don't care one way or another about Jerry Moran or La Cena. I've heard good things about the food. But I decided years ago never to ever eat there when I read stuff he posted about homeless people (and saw videos he posted as well).

I don't know the guy and accept that he may very well be a perfectly nice human being in every other way - I can only judge him on his actions. He has permanently lost my business for acting in a way that I can only describe as hateful towards an entire class of people.

[ben says]

How about this for criterion, ssky.....

1) overpriced

2) rude owner

3) good, but not great

4) unnecessarily high sharing fees

5) arrogant staff (they probably learn from it from their boss)

6) anyone who has an opinion about his food that doesn't include "this was fantastic" gets the "you don't know shit about REAL italian food"

7) not open for lunch

8 ) doesn't even pretend to embrace a younger clientele

9) and, lastly, while you may disagree, the behavior of the owner IS a valid and reasonable critique of the business as a whole

Are those specific enough??? I don't believe those are character-assasinations

[finehoe]

However, it quickly disintegrated into ... random commentary that was fairly to completely irrelevant to the topic at hand.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but this is not the least bit unusual on a MJ Forum thread.

[ssky]

How about this for criterion, ssky.....

1) overpriced
Upon what criteria do you base that statement? La Cena's pricing, according to my research, seems to be very much in-line with the current marketplace for upscale dining.

2) rude owner
To use the vernacular..."huh?" Please tell me what leads you to that conclusion.

3) good, but not great
I apologize, but that is pretty vague. "Good, but not great," what?

4) unnecessarily high sharing fees
Again, based upon what data? I promise to keep an open mind if you will back up these claims.

5) arrogant staff (they probably learn from it from their boss)
Oh, Ben, that was beneath you. How is that not character assassination?

6) anyone who has an opinion about his food that doesn't include "this was fantastic" gets the "you don't know shit about REAL italian food"
From whom? To the best of my knowledge, he hasn't posted since 2010, so perhaps the disagreement is coming from other patrons. If you think otherwise, please tell me.

7) not open for lunch
True now, but he he DID open La Cena for lunch in October of 2008. There just was not enough business to justify keeping it open for lunch. Come on, Ben, you're reaching on that one. You could have found that information on the internet.

8 ) doesn't even pretend to embrace a younger clientele
If you mean infants and toddlers, you are correct. But, La Cena is not Chuckie Cheese. La Cena is a place you go when, if you have children, you hire a babysitter and make it a date night. It's quiet, upscale and romantic. Crying babies and screaming toddlers tend to ruin date nights. And, make no mistake, I adore children. I just don't particularly want them romping about while I am enjoying a rare night out. However, if you mean patrons in their 20's and 30's, I beg to disagree and ask you to clarify.

9) and, lastly, while you may disagree, the behavior of the owner IS a valid and reasonable critique of the business as a whole
I think that is a stretch. But, if we must go there, I will say that Jerry has, over ten years, endured more than most people would ever withstand. And after just two days of posting on this thread myself, and meeting all of you, I will also say that he has done so with remarkable grace and decorum.


Are those specific enough??? I don't believe those are character-assasinations

[ssky]

Mea culpa. I was only trying to answer Ben's questions. I shall sign off for now. All the best.

[Adam W]

Mea culpa. I was only trying to answer Ben's questions. I shall sign off for now. All the best.

Goodnight Jerry.

[mtraininjax]

Wow 2012.....I was just at La Cena last night, even saw Jerry, or maybe that was his ghost. Still a pension for getting it right, food was amazing and there were large parties there from CSX and another downtown group, so Jerry is still doing the right thing!

[InnerCityPressure]

This place has always intrigued me.  I've never been, nor have any of my friends.  We all live in Riverside and have been to most (maybe all?) restaurants here and in downtown.  I've always heard the food is fine to great depending on the person.  Still never been for some reason.  However, it's still open after all these years.  I see through this thread that Simms' parents go there, Gov. Scott has been, and CSX dinners occur there. 

Perhaps the real value in this place is that it draws a customer base to the Core that not many others do.  I don't know Jerry, but I can applaud an establishment that accomplishes that task.  We need more options in the Core for that demographic.

[ben says]

Perhaps the real value in this place is that it draws a customer base to the Core that not many others do.  I don't know Jerry, but I can applaud an establishment that accomplishes that task.  We need more options in the Core for that demographic.

Agree

[mtraininjax]

Perhaps the real value in this place is that it draws a customer base to the Core that not many others do.  I don't know Jerry, but I can applaud an establishment that accomplishes that task.  We need more options in the Core for that demographic.

I disagree, one of the large parties there on Wednesday night were young professionals in their 20s and 30s. They were debating on whether or not to go to Dos Gatos after their meal. There are not a lot of sit down eating establishments in DT Jax, so La Cena is a nice offering catering to professionals, businesses and tourists.

Such a shame that they will not be open for One Spark, Jerry is very creative, I think he could do well and draw more people if he hit the streets and promoted his offering to a younger crowd. I hope to see him walking around One Spark at least.