Lunch Down(town) Tomorrow at Casa Dora

[fieldafm]

The Jax Cash Mob Facebook.com/JaxCashMob is trying something a little different, with a 'lunch mob' tomorrow at noon.  We're showing our support for locally owned small businesses by 'mobbing' Casa Dora (next to Florida Theatre).  Casa Dora does not know we are coming (at least I haven't told them).  So, if you are free at noon please come out, show your support for local businesses and meet some new people while enjoying a slice of Italy in our own urban core. 


BTW, James Gandolfini (aka Tony Soprano) hung out at Casa Dora extensively while in Jacksonville filming 'Lonely Hearts' in 2005.

[fsujax]

maybe someone should tell him, he is usually very understaffed.

[danno]

maybe someone should tell him, he is usually very understaffed.

And grouchy.

[jaxequality]

That guy is a jerk. Why support him?

[fieldafm]

If you are interested in attending, please do.  If you choose not to, that's ok as well.

It's certainly a unique place in a downtown that doesn't have enough of them...

[Josh]

The owner has always been extremely friendly whenever I've gone there.

*shrug*

[exnewsman]

Freddie is a legend. Grouchy? Maybe sometimes. Unique? Always!

Casa Dora is a great little place. But they are often understaffed so telling him in advanced wouldn't be a bad thing. This is a great idea. See you at CD on Wednesday.

[fsujax]

Freddy is cool!

[fieldafm]

We generally do not tell the shopkeeper that we are coming as it adds to the excitement.  Our sister organization, the Beaches Cash Mob, (Facebook.com/BeachesCashMob) once almost had the police called when we invaded a local surf shop.  The guy was on the phone with his wife and initially thought he was getting robbed, turns out it was just 34 people descending on to his store en masse to spend money.  He convinced his wife not to call the police. 

I have a feeling word has gotten around to Casa Dora by now, and hopefully they will be staffed accordingly.  I've actually never been at lunch time.

Hope to see some new and familiar faces tomorrow at noon.  Thank you for supporting our unique locally owned businesses!

[fieldafm]

Still time to make your lunch plans today...

[fieldafm]

Fantastic turnout yesterday, thank you to everyone for coming out!

A recap from the Daily Record:

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2013-08-15.

Partnering up was such a hit in getting people out, that we'll do another one on August 28th.

[Cheshire Cat]

Well done everyone!

Purchase this photo
From left, Sam Hamidi and Freddie Ghobod, co-owners of Casa Dora.
The lunch business was more brisk than usual Wednesday at Casa Dora Italian Restaurant when the pasta and pizza destination along Forsyth Street near the Florida Theatre was the site for the debut of "Lunch Down(town)."

Jax Cash Mob partnered with Community First Credit Union to invite Downtown workers and residents to gather en masse at the restaurant to eat lunch. It's a way to support a local business, similar to the concept behind a cash mob, said Jax Cash Mob founder Mike Field.

He described a cash mob as a "shop local" flash mob created to stimulate the economy at a local business. Fields' cash mobs have been showing up at retailers in Jacksonville for more than a year, but Wednesday marked the first time a Downtown restaurant was the focus of the micro-stimulus.

Field said Community First Credit Union was the perfect partner for the lunch event, based on their support of Downtown through the "Community First Saturday" monthly Riverwalk celebration and its sponsorship of the One Spark crowdfunding festival.

"It made sense to partner with a company that's so involved with the neighborhood," said Field.

"There is a symbiotic relationship between businesses and it's all about interconnection. A small action can have a big effect on the community," he said.

For more than an hour, a steady line of diners moved along the serving line at the restaurant. Co-owners Sam Hamidi and Freddie Ghobod said they did more business than usual for a Wednesday.

"It was fantastic. Thanks to Community First for sending the mob here," Hamidi said.

To learn about future Downtown "mob" opportunities, "Like" JaxCashMob at Facebook.com.

mmarbut@baileypub.com

(904) 356-2466

http://jaxdailyrecord.com/downtowntoday.php?dt_date=2013-08-15

[jaxequality]

It's so weird to me that I live in a city where people can't just go to lunch at a place they like, or want to. I have to work out of the area (mandarin) to make a living where I have no other choice but fast food. I go downtown all the time during the week and grasp for a place to be open for dinner. Chamblins is cloed. The Zodiac is closed. Chomp chomp is closed, even Quiznos and Subway is closed. Downtown and Springfield are a mecca for lunch business, but what about dinner? A dinner mob is the exact thing in order. I'd even go to Burrito Gallery for the umphteen million time, or Casa Dora and put up with grouchy Fredie aka the soup nazi. 

[JFman00]

It's depressingly funny to me that even Subway closes at 7 pm during the week and 4 on the weekend.

[Cheshire Cat]

It's depressingly funny to me that even Subway closes at 7 pm during the week and 4 on the weekend.

The market dictates this I believe.    The reality is something continually discussed on this board which is to revitalize downtown and bring back a degree of vibrancy.  First things first it seems.  I know we wish that were not the case, but it is.  There are some restaurants opened in the evening are there not?  Perhaps those foodies on the board can let us know.