Several projects that could finally bring more riverfront dining options to Jacksonville’s North and Southbanks are simultaneously moving forward.
A café space is already built in Riverfront Plaza, the planned Friendship Fountain restaurant is in an advanced stage of the design process, and the City is eyeing a large riverfront restaurant in Riverfront Plaza. Meanwhile, developer Related Group plans to break ground this year on a 25-story mixed-use residential project that will feature a ground floor restaurant, and the City’s beer garden is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year, though each of these projects still faces hurdles.
Coming to the Southbank
According to Allan DeVault, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) redevelopment manager for the Downtown Investment Authority (DIA), the design process for the proposed restaurant immediately west of Friendship Fountain is 70% complete, and a procurement process to find an operator is underway. The operator that is selected will then work with the design team on the remaining 30% of the design process.
“I hope that by the end of March we have a chosen operator so that the design can recommence and then construction can begin sometime toward the latter part of 2026,” said DeVault.
The 2,400-square-foot restaurant will feature a 1,000-square-foot outdoor patio area with 1,800 square feet of an additional upstairs space.
Construction of the restaurant’s shell will cost roughly $3 million, with the eventual operator responsible for the interior build-out.
DeVault says DIA is seeking a family-friendly, general food restaurant, perhaps American or seafood, but “nothing too niche.”
Nearby, on the former site of the River City Brewing Company, Miami-based developer Related Group is planning a 25-story tower with a ground-floor restaurant. Ground is expected to break on the mixed-use residential project this year after the Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously to grant $58.79 million in public incentives in late 2024. According to published reports, the project is in permitting.
Riverfront Plaza Dining Options
Food and beverage options are also taking shape across the river on the Northbank. DIA has identified a riverfront parcel in the southwestern corner of Riverfront Plaza, currently a grass field, as the ideal location for a new restaurant. Last month, DIA issued a notice of disposition for a Riverfront Plaza restaurant operator, inviting “proposals from experienced food and beverage operators to assist with design, lease and operate a signature restaurant at Riverfront Plaza in Downtown Jacksonville.”
Responses are due March 27.
DIA CEO Colin Tarbert addressed concerns and answered questions about the restaurant parcel at the Special Committee on the Future of Downtown meeting on Feb. 9, during which he told committee members he strongly feels a restaurant is needed on that parcel to activate the park.
He explained that the plan is for the City to retain ownership of the parcel and lease it to the restaurant operator.
However, Tarbert was met with pushback by some committee members, including District 7 City Councilman Jimmy Peluso, who questioned the wisdom of pursuing a Riverfront Plaza restaurant when the Plaza’s proposed beer garden and the Friendship Fountain restaurant have not been built yet.
“I think a lot of people don’t want to see this park get overly saturated with restaurants,” said Peluso. “I would like it to remain grass for now and hold off.”
Councilman Raul Arias echoed Peluso, suggesting that the city wait to see if the proposed model worked with the Friendship Fountain restaurant before spending funds on another riverfront restaurant.
In response, Tarbert argued there is a sense of urgency to bring dining to the riverfront, adding that DIA is prepared to free up about $4 million of its funds to get the project off the ground.
“[I want to] move fast and get things done downtown. All I’ve heard since I got here is that there’s absolutely no place to eat on the riverfront … I don’t think this is premature at all,” said Tarbert.
Tarbert explained that part of the difficulty in attracting an operator at the Friendship Fountain restaurant site is its smaller footprint. By contrast, the Riverfront Plaza parcel would accommodate a much larger 10,000-square-foot, two-story restaurant that would likely be a full-service restaurant appealing to families and downtown employees, though it would ultimately depend on what proposals DIA receives.
The beer garden Peluso mentioned is part of phase two of Riverfront Plaza, which has an anticipated completion date of late 2027 and is under the purview of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. That department is also working to find an operator for the café space that has been constructed as part of Riverfront Plaza’s newly opened playground.
