Clark’s Fish Camp & Seafood Restaurant, which closed Sept. 21, 2022, after 47 years of operation, sold June 28 for $1.4 million.
The property is at 12903 Hood Landing Road along Julington Creek in Mandarin.
The Joan R. Peoples Family Trust was the seller.
James Franks, president of OBS Inc., a construction company based in Alliance, Ohio, bought the property through Clarks Investments LLC.
Franks has a condominium in Jacksonville Beach.
He could not be reached for comment.
Joan and Jack Peoples founded Clark’s Fish Camp in 1974. After Jack Peoples died in 1999, Joan Peoples continued to operate the restaurant until September 2012 when she turned day-to-day operations over to others.
The restaurant specialized in fish and other seafood. It was best known for catfish, alligator tail and frog legs.
It had a large taxidermy collection valued at $430,000 that was displayed above the dining room and bar, according to court documents. Not only did it include species native to the area but a lion, tiger and even a giraffe.
The property sits on 3.1 acres on the bank of the creek. Part of the restaurant included a deck over the water.
The 12,000-square-foot building was constructed in 1954 and seated 275.
While the proximity to the creek allowed diners to see manatees, alligators and an assortment of birds, it also placed the business in peril. Flooding caused structural damage after hurricanes Irma in 2017, Matthew in 2020 and Ian in 2022.
Its Facebook page reported on Sept. 21, 2022, it was being closed for repairs. It never reopened.