Larry’s Giant Subs hopes to open its Murray Hill restaurant at the beginning of April with a twist.
Larry’s, founded 36 years ago by brothers Larry and Mitch Raikes, will add a pizza oven and hold a full liquor license.
“The area is definitely up and coming,” said Larry Raikes. “It’s going to be really great.”
Raikes said the investment will be $600,000.
The city is reviewing a permit application for The Shrout Companies to renovate the almost 3,000-square-foot space for dining and a bar, plus an outside patio, at 1050 Edgewood Ave. S. at a cost of $205,000.
Plans also show the wood-burning oven from Italy that Raikes said bakes a pizza in 90 seconds at 900 degrees.
Raikes said the restaurant will seat 110, including the patio, and feature a rustic look with custom woodwork.
A dozen local and area craft beers will be on tap and the bar will feature drink specials.
Raikes said the menu is being developed and will include Wisconsin cheese curds, Buffalo wings, hand-cut fries and a Sunday brunch with mimosas.
Hours will be 11 a.m. daily to up to midnight on weekdays and 3 a.m. Friday-Saturday, he said. Live entertainment is planned on weekends.
Murray Hill has been attracting new businesses, including restaurants and a brewery, to join its historic environment and established companies.
Raikes said the venture is a new concept for the company and it might open more locations, but he doesn’t expect to franchise it.
“This is something we always wanted to do,” he said.
Larry’s Giant Subs operates eight corporate shops and another 57 are franchised. There are 18 Larry’s Giant Subs in the Jacksonville market.
Brightwork Real Estate of Tampa wants to put up a self-storage center at Philips Highway and Bowden Road next to the Wawa gas station and convenience store it is developing.
Bohler Engineering, also of Tampa, is the engineer.
The city is reviewing plans for the proposed three-story, 33,700-square-foot structure on 1.69 acres adjacent on the northeast to Wawa’s site. The address on a site plan is 5735 Philips Highway.
BW Philips Bowden LLC, led by Brightwork Real Estate Inc. of Tampa, bought the 3.9-acre site in May for $2.25 million from Franklin G. Griffin as trustee of the Franklin G. Griffin Revocable Living Trust. It was a former auto dealership site.
Wawa will develop on 2.13 acres.
Hobnob, one of the two remaining restaurants at 220 Riverside, announced Tuesday it will no longer operate for dining, but will continue to host corporate events, private receptions and group meetings.
“This was a very difficult decision but ultimately the best option as a business,” Hobnob said in an emailed statement.
It said it hopes that Hobnob “will continue to contribute to the growth of the Brooklyn/Riverside area.”
Hobnob said its goal was to create a space “where people could connect over great food in a social atmosphere. By focusing solely on private events, we will continue to deliver that experience.”
It said people with Hobnob gift cards can use them for private event fees and at some local restaurants it has arranged to accept the cards.
For information, email [email protected]
Before opening, Hobnob’s owners said in August 2015 that it would serve lunch and dinner daily and the bar would offer craft cocktails, beer and wine.
The 4,560-square-foot, 200-seat space was expected to employ about 40 people, including about 25 part-timers.
It was begun by husband-and-wife team Alan and Ellen Cottrill and opened in spring 2016.
It’s the latest movement in the retail space in 220 Riverside. That space recently was taken over by CRE Properties, a subsidiary of Bank United in Miami Lakes, in lieu of foreclosure.
The four units comprised Sbraga & Company, which opened in November 2015 and closed abruptly in July 2016; Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, which remains open; an event space; and Hobnob, which opened in March 2016 and last June said it was changing its menu and trimming its hours to Thursday through Sunday.
The city is reviewing plans for Candlewood Suites at 2073 Mayport Road, at northeast Mayport Road and Brazeale Lane.
The developer is Mayport Lodging 2 Inc. Goodson Nevin and Associates is the consulting engineer and Kasper Architects and Associates is the architect.
The three-story, 61-unit hotel is planned on 1.13 acres.
The city issued Concurrency Reservation and Mobility Fee Calculation certificates for the project Nov. 29.
The mobility fee, based on projected traffic impacts, is $60,477.
The property owner is Cross Development CC Jacksonville Mayport LLC and the agent is Fred Atwill Jr.
Cross Development of Carrollton, Texas, owns 5.5 acres along Mayport Road and developed a Caliber Collision center on part of the property. Candlewood is planned next to the collision center.
Gate Petroleum Co. will open its first Gate Express Carwash at 8 a.m. Wednesday at 7059 Collins Crossing.
No grand opening is planned. The next four locations will be at 2545 Palm Valley Road in Nocatee; and in Jacksonville at Beach and Hodges boulevards, Emerson Street and Philips Highway and Blanding Boulevard and Hyde Park.
No dates were announced for those.
The Gate Express Carwashes feature a 125-foot tunnel system that can process a car in less than 4 minutes and can accommodate five to seven autos at a time.
Prices start with a basic wash at $5. Hours are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Aldi will open its first Orange Park store Thursday at 661 Blanding Blvd.
It will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:25 a.m.
That same day, Aldi will host a statewide, one-day hiring fair to fill 400 jobs in Florida.
Every Aldi in Florida is hosting the event from 7 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m.
Job-seekers, who must be at least 18 years old, can apply in person.
Hourly pay is $12 for store associates, $16.50 for shift managers and $24 an hour for manager trainees.
Trainees can make $49,920 a year based on 40 hours and will have the opportunity to make up to $90,000 as a manager.