Southern Table Hospitality, owner of North Beach, Palm Valley and Julington Creek Fish Camps, will add a fourth location in downtown St. Augustine by mid-January.
Ben and Liza Groshell own the restaurants. In addition to the fish camps, they own Marker 32 at 14549 Beach Blvd. along the Intracoastal Waterway and Valley Smoke Restaurant at 11 S. Roscoe Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The restaurant is planned along the San Sebastian River, down the street from the St. Augustine Distillery and Ice Plant Bar. Eric Williams, director of operations for Southern Table Hospitality, said the restaurant will be in an ideal location, given the development around it, and because it sits next to a working dock.
“When you’re sitting outside, having dinner, having drinks, you’re going to see the shrimp boats coming in and out,” Williams said.
He said there also is ample parking, which can be difficult to find in downtown St. Augustine.
The 189-seat restaurant will have indoor and outdoor seating. It will serve similar dishes to those at the other fish camp locations, Williams said. That includes blackened mahi over creamy grits with collard greens; fried seafood baskets; and seafood linguini. It also offers nonseafood options like pan-fried chicken, grilled pork chops and steak.
It will have a full bar with a cocktail menu, red and white sangria, beer and wine. It has local partnerships with Veterans United Craft Brewery, St. Augustine Distillery and GYO Greens.
Williams declined to say how much will be invested in the St. Augustine location, but said with six successful locations established, “we’re in a really good position to continue opening restaurants.”
He said the restaurant group has other projects in the works, and he could see one or two openings in 2020. He declined to elaborate on the plans.
Moving south to St. Augustine is a step outside the restaurant group’s market, since it operates in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra. Williams said he thinks the St. Augustine location will be well-received.
“A lot of people already come up from St. Augustine to our Palm Valley Fish Camp, to our Valley Smoke Restaurant,” Williams said. “They’re always asking us and talking about when are we going to open a fish camp there. It’s something we’ve been listening to. I’ve been with the company for six years, and (I’ve heard it) once or twice a week for six years. They’re looking forward to having this there.”
