Earth Fare, whose tagline is “the healthy supermarket,” is posting job listings for its Jacksonville store that say it will open in August.
The EarthFare.com/Jobs site lists eight job openings for the North Carolina-based company’s first Northeast Florida location. Jobs include meat cutter, customer service, and event and demo coordinators.
Earth Fare representatives have not responded to questions about the Jacksonville store. The job postings say “New Store Opening in Jacksonville, FL-August 2014.”
The store will become even more visible now that the city OK’d permits for the company to put up its “Earth Fare Real Food For Everyone” signs. The store is in the Atlantic North shopping center at 11901 Atlantic Blvd., next to Academy Sports & Outdoors and near the site cleared for Belk. LA Fitness also anchors the center.
The project appears to be at least a $2 million construction job — the $1.04 million shell structure approved in December and the $985,000 interior build-out approved in March. Additional work, as well as furnishings, equipment and inventory, will increase that investment.
Target Contractors Inc., associated with center developer Sleiman Enterprises, is the contractor for the 24,000-square-foot building shell and the interior work.
The center is at northwest Kernan and Atlantic boulevards.
Plans show the organic and natural foods grocer will include 13,510 square feet of sales area and 8,676 square feet for storage and preparation, along with mechanical and other space. It also will offer a 41-seat café area near the entrance. The café is near the market’s coffee and yogurt bar.
Earth Fare is based in Fletcher, N.C., near Asheville. It began in 1975 and operates 31 stores in nine states, including a Florida store in Tallahassee.
Gandolfo’s to open in Tapestry Park
Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen intends to open its first Jacksonville shop at 4820 Deer Lake Drive W. in Tapestry Park, near Tinseltown.
The city is reviewing a permit application to renovate the space at a cost of $65,000.
The Gandolfo’s menu includes sandwiches on hero rolls, hot dogs, salads, breakfast sandwiches, desserts, catering and box lunches.
Gandolfo’s is part of Pool’s Restaurant Group, based in Lawrenceville, Ga. It began its food-franchising program in early 2010, according to an article in QSR Magazine.
A report on the Food & Drink International website says founder and owner Dan Pool discovered Gandolfo’s Deli, began his own franchise and went into partnership with its owner to expand the entire brand, launching Pool’s Restaurant Group.
Gandolfo’s operates in retail areas as well as colleges, hospitals and airports, says the site. By the end of 2020, there will be 520 Gandolfo’s nationwide, including food trucks, it says.
Pool’s Restaurant Group also owns Petro’s Chili as well as The Butcher’s Son, the first food-truck-only franchise in the nation, according to Pool.
The gandolfosdeli.com site indicates Gandolfo’s operates in 13 states with plans for two more, including in Florida. Port Orange and Jacksonville both are listed as “coming soon.”
Gandolfo’s offers franchises. The average initial investment to open a Gandolfo’s New York Delicatessen restaurant ranges from $252,300 to $392,200. Costs include the franchise fee, lease deposits, leasehold improvements, fixtures and equipment, opening inventory, initial advertising, signs and working capital.
Each store needs a staff of 12, consisting of 10 part-time and two full-time employees.
Panera renovations up to $560,000
Make that two more.
Panera Bread is renovating at least seven of its Jacksonville restaurants, at a cost of $560,000, according to building permit applications.
Panera Bread, based in St. Louis, has not commented about its plans. The Daily Record reported last week that Panera had filed plans to renovate at least five Jacksonville locations at $80,000 each.
The company has since applied to renovate two more — in Mandarin at 13820 Old St. Augustine Road and in Southwest Jacksonville at 9570 Crosshill Blvd. in OakLeaf Town Center.
Those are in addition to the stores to be renovated at Beach and Hodges boulevards, the Argyle Village area, the Regency area, River City Marketplace and St. Johns Town Center.
The “limited scope” remodels include construction of a full-height wall with pass-thru at the service line; re-work of the service-line equipment and lighting; and installation of a banquette across from the order-status monitor, ordering kiosk stations and reach-in beverage cooler at the bakery.
Panera Bread has at least 12 restaurants in Duval County and at least 16 total in the five-county area. It’s unclear how many will be remodeled. Some are new, such as the San Marco area location.
Atlantic Village in Atlantic Beach is the site of another new Panera Bread on an outparcel along Atlantic Boulevard.
Corner Bakery putting $1M into build-outs
Corner Bakery Café is investing at least $1.15 million in renovating its first two Jacksonville restaurants.
The city has approved the $623,038 tenant build-out for Corner Bakery Café’s Southside location at 7111 Bonneval Road, next to Edwin Watts Golf.
A permit application is in review for the first Corner Bakery Café announced for Jacksonville – the one in the Shoppes on Riverside.
That’s a $523,875 interior build-out at 192 Riverside Ave.
Danis Construction LLC is the contractor for both.
Dallas-based Corner Bakery Café is a fast-casual restaurant that offers made-to-order breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as catering.
In September, the company said it plans to open as many as 10 restaurants in the Northeast Florida area as part of a multi-unit restaurant franchise agreement with Lee Wesley Group LLC.
Restaurants on the rise
• KFC is planning to renovate, inside and outside, two area restaurants — 9551 Regency Square Blvd. N. and 8033 Normandy Blvd. — at $100,000 each. KFC plans to renovate the dining areas and update the exteriors.
• Hardee’s is renovating two area locations — 11191 San Jose Blvd. and 8040 Normandy Blvd. The $65,000 projects include seat updates, site work and restroom upgrades.
• Bonefish Grill is converting space for private dining rooms at its 10950 San Jose Blvd. restaurant. The $150,000 project, in city review, will convert 2,000 square feet of existing storage area to private dining rooms, restrooms and hallways.
• Dunkin’ Donuts is preparing for its 842 Dunn Ave. shop. It’s shown on a permit application as a $125,000 tenant build-out in almost 1,800 square feet of space.
• Starbucks intends to open at 4273 Roosevelt Blvd. A $300,000 shell building, at 1,914 square feet, is in review for the coffee company. The interior build-out will be handled under a separate permit.
• Subway will remodel space at 1325 San Marco Blvd., No. 1, in the Reid Medical Building, part of Baptist Medical Center, where Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute operates. It’s a $50,000 project for the 1,300-square-foot space.
Licensed to serve
Duval County Tax Collector Michael Corrigan issued business licenses for:
• Shaved Ice Paradise, to Leticia Velazquez, 2905 Fruitwood Lane, mobile vendor.
• Shuga Shack Shave Ice, to Caralee P. Hollis, 3224 Julington Creek Road, mobile vendor.
Food bites
Food-related businesses filed names recently with the state Division of Corporations under the Fictitious Name Law to operate:
• Whiskey Joe’s Kitchen & Cocktails, to Eatery Investment Group Inc., 10915 Baymeadows Road, Suite 136. Adam Fontaine of Jacksonville is president of Eatery Investment Group and Thomas Fisher of Jacksonville Beach is director.
• True Catering, to Jacinth Lyle, 1440 N. Pearl St.
Dining signs
• Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill, 13201 Atlantic Blvd.
• Benito’s Pizza & Pastabilities, 11701 San Jose Blvd., No. 23.
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