A Jacksonville City Council committee helped pave the way for D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings & Seafood to move into the space previously housed by Jazzy’s Restaurant and Lounge in Riverside.
The Land Use and Zoning Committee voted 6-0 on May 7 in favor of a zoning exception allowing consumption of alcoholic beverages at the site, 901 King St., at the intersection of King and College streets. Member Raul Arias was excused for the meeting of the seven-member committee.
The website What Now Jacksonville reported in mid-April that D’Bo’s, which is based in Memphis, had chosen the Jazzy’s location as the site for its first Jacksonville location.
D’Bo’s specializes in hot wings, with other menu items including crab, shrimp, lobster, catfish, burgers, hot dogs and sides. It also sells hot sauce, mild sauce and all-purpose dry seasoning, as well as frozen daiquiris.
In addition to Jacksonville, D’Bo’s plans to expand to Atlanta, Chicago and Winter Haven. It currently has locations in Memphis and Detroit.
David and Leticia Boyd founded the company in 1990 as a food truck, maxing out their credit cards to get the restaurant off the ground.
Jazzy’s closed in August 2023. Co-owner Celestia Mobley cited slip-and-fall lawsuits as the reason behind the closure, saying the restaurant had been subject to six suits since it opened in 2019. The suits, she said, caused her insurance rates to become unaffordable.
She also said there had been neighborhood noise complaints.
For the D’Bo’s exception, city staff recommended approval on condition that the restaurant be limited to 151 seats and operate between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m., with no music or amplified sound allowed outside. Jessica Tyree, the agent for the applicant, said the restaurant would have 121 seats. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, she said.
The property owner is listed as Matt Rettner of IHOP-LKE-RMR LLC, of New Rochelle, New York.
The site had been given exceptions in 2019, 2017 and 2012. Its previous tenants included a second Jacksonville location of the Hamburger Mary’s drag-themed restaurant chain and Blind Rabbit. Hamburger Mary’s Pub House opened in 2017 and closed a year later.