by Glenn Tschimpke
Staff Writer
Huey’s at the Landing closed Sunday after its struggling owners decided to call it quits.
Downtown diners reliant on Huey’s New Orleans-style fare need not fret, however. In its place will be Bourbon Street Raw Bar and Grill, which will feature a menu that echoes its predecessor with a few new twists.
“We have a concept that’s going to be dynamite,” said new owner Jason Jaffe. “We’re going to have a raw bar and frozen drinks like Fat Tuesday had.”
Long-time Landing patrons will remember the departed Fat Tuesday drink bar, which sold slushy alcoholic beverages in a variety of flavors. Jaffe plans to include a few flavors of his own as part of the overall facelift of the restaurant.
Jaffe and crew began renovations Monday, dismantling the bar as part of a broad-based freshening of the restaurant.
“All the colors are going to change,” said General Manager Linda Lennon. “It’s still going to be Mardi Gras. It will still be New Orleans.”
The bar will be extended to almost double its current length to accommodate the frozen drink machines and the raw bar. In addition to fresh paint on the walls, the furniture will be re-upholstered and the kitchen will receive some minor updates.
“If you’re going to close and reopen, honestly, we could have just repainted and said, ‘Fine, we’re going to reopen.’ But to give it a facelift and to give it more, it’s better to do that,” said Lennon.
Seafood will become a focal point of the new menu with the raw bar serving oysters, shrimp, crab legs and clams. Jaffe, who has a background in the seafood business in New York and Boston, is considering bringing in a live lobster tank. The appetizer selection will likely expand and more Cajun entrees may surface. Of course, New Orleans staples like red beans and rice and jambalaya will return.
Huey’s joins a growing list of restaurants that have faltered at the Landing in recent months, including two major tenants, St. Johns Grille and Tavern and Jocks and Jills. Although the Huey’s space will encounter a quick turnaround, the trend speaks volumes about business prospects at the Landing. Jaffe isn’t concerned.
“I like the location,” he said. “I think the Jacksonville Landing will start to be the hubbub again. The Landing is the heartbeat of downtown. I think it’s on its way back.”
Jaffe points toward the 2005 Super Bowl, the sprouting residential community downtown and the periodic events like the Florida-Georgia game, New Year’s Eve and the Gator Bowl as money-making avenues for downtown restaurants.
Bourbon Street Raw Bar and Grill is slated to open Feb. 12 — Fat Tuesday.