Almost a year after Education Corporation of America confirmed it would open a fully staffed teaching restaurant in San Marco, the permit was pulled and the project will begin.
P&C Construction Inc. will combine four suites at a former pizza-burger location at 1402 San Marco Blvd. into one to create the Kitchen on San Marco.
The site is at San Marco Boulevard and Children’s Way.
Gary Montour, senior vice president with Colliers International in Jacksonville, represented the tenant. He said Tuesday the restaurant could open within 90 days.
The restaurant will serve as a teaching establishment where a staff of professional chefs provides a learning lab environment for culinary and pastry arts students from Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College.
“Their focus is to give them a full feel of the entire realm of the restaurant industry,” Montour said. “San Marco is going to get a new restaurant.”
Montour said it would be operated as any restaurant would. “They have to make sure it is run like a business,” he said, which means understanding a balance sheet, knowing how to apply for a bank loan for equipment, the terms of signing a lease.”
The 4,533-square-foot project will be renovated at a cost of $617,005. Education Corporation of America owns Virginia College. Representatives of Education Corporation of America and The Culinary Institute of Virginia College did not return telephone calls for comment.
Last August, the Education Corporation of America vice president of student retail operations, Ron Patak, said students at Culinard will train at the restaurant during their 36-week course. Virginia College operates at 5940 Beach Blvd., at the intersection with University Boulevard.
Patak said the Kitchen on San Marco will feature local and regional foods, including influences of coastal foods and especially Mayport seafood and area fisheries.
Patak said last year the Kitchen would employ a professional staff of about 40 people; the dining areas should seat 125-130 patrons and the bar will add another 15 seats; and it should operate for lunch and dinner as well as Sunday brunch.
Signs should be put up soon. The city issued permits Tuesday for three wall signs for "Kitchen on San Marco" on the building.
Restaurants on the rise
• Starbucks Coffee Co. will open along Roosevelt Boulevard after construction of its new coffee shop there. Buildings are being demolished at 4454 Beverly Ave. and 4265 Roosevelt Blvd. to make way for Starbucks.
• Southern Roots Filling Station will renovate for a restaurant at 1275 King St.
• Bonefish Grill at 10950 San Jose Blvd. is converting some storage area for new private dining rooms, restrooms and hallways.
• Gandolfo’s Deli is building out at 4820 Deer Lake Drive W.
Signs
• Dunkin’ Donuts, 842 Dunn Ave., contractor is Custom Graphics & Sign Design, ground sign, $16,600.
• Bayou Cajun Seafood & Grill, 11380 Beach Blvd., No. 8.
• The Hot Dog Spot, Matt’s Italian Cuisine, Pizza Hut and Sashimi Fusion, Cobblestone Crossing, 2771 Monument Road.
Licensed to serve
Duval County Tax Collector Michael Corrigan issued business licenses for:
• Aurora Belle Cake Designs LLC, to Marisa Negron, 13023 Surfside Drive.
• Mama Lu’s Filipino & Chinese Restaurant, to Lucena Uson Arguilla, 968 St. Johns Bluff Road N.
• Son of a Butcher LLC, to Randall M. Leibl, 2052 Brighton Bay Trail, mobile vendor.
• Okee’s Crabhouse & Seafood, to Osteen Demps Jr., 6050 Moncrief Road, No. 13.
• Green Man Gourmet, to Cloves N Berries LLC, 3543 St. Johns Ave.
Food bites
Food- and drink-related businesses filed names recently with the state Division of Corporations under the Fictitious Name Law to operate:
• Jet’s Pizza, by Dejax LLC, 13475 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 12. Joseph Sulla of Altamonte Springs is manager of Dejax LLC.
• The Scoreboard Sports Bar & Grill, by J.R. Turney Inc., 6051 Merrill Road. J.R. Turney is president, treasurer and director and Pamala Turney is vice president and secretary of J.R. Turney Inc., Orange Park.
• Jammin Island Bar & Grill, by Tanya Harris and Kevin Kirk Harris, 1213 Candlebark Drive.
• KB Tropical Breeze Smoothies, by Kenneth Bowman, 1572 Golf Forest Drive.
• RCL Seafood III, by Richard Clay Lewis, 5826 Poitier Drive.
• Shrimpies Sea Food & Chicken, by Hebeah Sea Town Inc., 7250 New Kings Road. Nabil Nimer of Fort Lauderdale is president of Hebeah Sea Town Inc.
• Beachcomber Restaurant, by Beachcomber of St. Augustine LLC, 2 A St., St. Augustine. Donald Samora of St. Augustine is manager of Beachcomber of St. Augustine LLC.