Hard Rock Cafe Jacksonville

[stug]

Red Robin is slated to open in Avenues Walk so is California Pizza Kitchen.  So I guess there is some hope for Jacksonville. 

Hard Rock just seems to be a tourist destination more than anything else, so I guess Jacksonville would need to become more tourist oriented before we are even considered for one.

Not trying to be a dick or anything, but why do a couple of crappy chain restaurants buying space in yet ANOTHER strip mall qualify as hope for Jacksonville's future? I think it just perpetuates Jacksonville's identity crisis. Fill cities up with chains, and soon you won't be able to tell them apart. More strip malls and more chains taking up more land will not make Jacksonville a destination --- people can get a Banzai Burger in their own God-forsaken city. I call for more independent businesses, more places to establish tastes that are specific to Jacksonville and our city's signature flavor. And, anyway, the food at Hard Rock is gross.

[Charleston native]

^ Gross? What kind of food do you eat, exactly? I've eaten at the Hard Rocks in Boston, Denver, San Diego, and Myrtle Beach; the service has been great as well as the food. I am shocked that Jax does not have one, but if infill and connectivity can be built between the Landing and the Sports Complex, I think one would be built there easily. Considering Jax's size, it would make sense to have Hard Rock downtown.

Hard Rock has a somewhat inconsistent market expansion strategy. Case in point, if corporate management wants to target tourism areas, they've completely ignored my hometown, which is the state's most recognized tourism mecca. Lacking a Jacksonville location only further supports the franchise's inconsistency.

[jrtmom]

I also have not had positive experiences at Hard Rock.  It's definitely a tourist thing more than something local.  Can we get some local celeb to open a similarly-themed place?  Think Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix.  The food is good and you can see all of the memorabilia on the wall there too.  Close to the US Airways stadium and Chase Field, easy walking to sporting events.  There's a Hard Rock down there too (not as busy as the local places), and Majerle's is always packed.  Food for thought!! 

Agree we need to fill in the space between the Landing and the sports complex. 

[Seraphs]

Red Robin,  I had no idea one was being proposed for Jax.  There has been a load of commercials on T.V.

[copperfiend]

Can we get some local celeb to open a similarly-themed place?  Think Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix.

The Freebird is the obvious answer.

[jacksonvilleconfidential]

Why hope for some vapid chain to colonize our town when we should be coming up with our unique, local restaurants?

You mean like.....Jenkins Bar B Q?  I miss Jenkins....good ribs man.

You miss Jenkins? Theres one Downtown and its well worth the 1 hour wait at the drive through.

[tpot]

Yucko on HardRock!  The food there is horrible.  The place seems so early 90's........

Now I have never been to one, but I could see a Jimmy Buffet's Maragarittaville Cafe doing well at the Landing.

http://www.margaritaville.com/

Please note: I am not a Parrot Head, but I could see this sort of establishment doing well there...............

Anyone ever been to one??

[brainstormer]

Isn't there one in Orlando?  I'm pretty sure there is one at Universal's Citywalk.  It would fit in pretty well downtown, but I don't know how much of a draw it would be on it's own.  Having options is always a plus though.

[Clem1029]

Yucko on HardRock!  The food there is horrible.  The place seems so early 90's........

Now I have never been to one, but I could see a Jimmy Buffet's Maragarittaville Cafe doing well at the Landing.

http://www.margaritaville.com/

Please note: I am not a Parrot Head, but I could see this sort of establishment doing well there...............

Anyone ever been to one??

I'm not sure if my liver could adequately handle a Margaritaville here in town.

I mean, there's no way they open one here (1 - probably too close to Orlando and 2 - Jacksonville probably wouldn't qualify as a big enough stand-alone or tourist market for it)...but my goodness, I'd probably keep one afloat single-handedly if they built one...

[simms3]

I don't think its been announced yet.  As of today, it has not been added to the list of tenants on the Avenues Walk website.

So then, this is still speculation...  If they are, i'm surprised they chose Avenues Walk over the Town Center.  The spot where The Sharper Image was would've been a good spot for them...

It's not really speculation.  I saw it on a site-plan a few months ago.  They had Red Robin, CPK, Brio, McCormack & Schdmidts on there.  It was a pretty impressive list of restaurants.  I guess the leases have not been finalized yet and thus they haven't made their way onto Kimco's website.

There is a probability that one or a few of these restaurants may not make it as lease negotiations can be tough and the economy has hit a rougher patch since I last examined this project.

But overall, I have a very good feeling we will see Red Robin and CPK.

I thought mccormick and schmick's was going in the development that is going up near costco and town center, at least that is what i heard...and i also heard that brio was actually good.  there is one in atlanta, as i'm sure everywhere else by now.  CPK is way overrated, we have good pizza here already by way of new york transplants.  They know how to make a good pie, check out Renna's, there are some places at the beach where I forget the name, and Tommy's pizza on Southside.  California is known more for bad pizza/lack of pizza than for good pizza.

[ProjectMaximus]

How bout Boselli's Barbecue Buffet or Brunell's Bistro? Furyk's or Singh's? Otis Smith or Dee Brown? Leroy Butler or Edgar Bennett?

List goes on and on, although outside of those first two I don't know if the others really love our city.

Can we get some local celeb to open a similarly-themed place?  Think Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix.  The food is good and you can see all of the memorabilia on the wall there too.  Close to the US Airways stadium and Chase Field, easy walking to sporting events.  There's a Hard Rock down there too (not as busy as the local places), and Majerle's is always packed.  Food for thought!! 

[stjohnsguy]

Well first thing is first ...Lets get a place to go downtown.Turn the Shipyards into a center piece of downtown.Bring in many different restaurants,clubs,an Imax theater.Maybe an Island of clubs on the St Johns.Similar to Downtown Disney.Add in many boat slips and some other attractions like a Dry docked naval carrier like the JFK or some other mothballed navy vessel.Use our current Convention center for a transit hub and build a new convention center on the old JEA site across the river.This way you would only have to take a river taxi across.Have live entertainers all over the shipyards.....Give us somewhere to take out of town guests.It is a great location close to the sports complex.    lets face it the landing is a joke!!!! bring in a Hard Rock,Planet Hollywood,and mix with some local flavor ....Boselli's nice!!!!   How about a Shooters the water?!!!

[thelakelander]

How bout Boselli's Barbecue Buffet or Brunell's Bistro? Furyk's or Singh's? Otis Smith or Dee Brown? Leroy Butler or Edgar Bennett?

List goes on and on, although outside of those first two I don't know if the others really love our city.

Can we get some local celeb to open a similarly-themed place?  Think Alice Cooperstown in Phoenix.  The food is good and you can see all of the memorabilia on the wall there too.  Close to the US Airways stadium and Chase Field, easy walking to sporting events.  There's a Hard Rock down there too (not as busy as the local places), and Majerle's is always packed.  Food for thought!! 

Boselli and Brunell bought Whataburger to Jacksonville...

Houston Texan Tony Boselli is part of a group of NFL players and business executives that is expanding a South Texas fast-food institution to North Florida.

Boselli has joined JWB Ventures Ltd., an Austin-based group that signed a franchise agreement on Jan. 8 with Corpus Christi-based Whataburger Inc. As a result, JWB will build 28 Whataburger restaurants in the Jacksonville area. Whataburger officials say it represents one of the largest franchise agreements in the 53-year history of the burger chain.

The 28 stores will be operated by JWB, which is based in Austin and headed by businessman Gregory Feste. Officials say JWB is in the process of putting a regional management team in place in Florida. The company is also preparing to hire a real estate firm that will select sites and oversee construction of the Jacksonville Whataburgers.

The Austin investment group includes Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell, former Dallas Cowboy Robert Jones, former Arizona Cardinals defensive end Andre Wadsworth and current Cardinal offensive guard Leonard Davis, a former All-American from the University of Texas.

Other investors include Flynn Kile, the wife of recently deceased St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile, as well as Jim Schneider and Jay Bell. Schneider is chief financial officer of Dell Computer Corp. Bell is one of the founding partners of that company.

Says the Jaguars' Brunell about the venture: "I am thrilled to help bring Whataburger to Jacksonville. I'm excited not only about the financial opportunities but the privilege to endorse a superb organization and the best hamburger in town."

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2003/01/20/story5.html

[Jason]

28 stores!?  Where are they all at?  The only ones I know of is on the westside and JTB/Phillips.

[copperfiend]

There is one in Atl Beach and one on Beach Blvd.