by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
According to a local realtor, representatives from Perkins Restaurant and Bakery are showing interest in the space once occupied by Caffe’ Athena at 45 W. Bay St., which has remained vacant since the eatery closed last December.
“Everything will have to go through their corporate offices,” said Lita Cerni, an agent with Coldwell Banker. “It takes time, but it’ll have to come to down to their market strategists OK’ing the location.”
As is customary with any potential franchise location, Perkins will send a real estate specialist to survey various aspects of the community, including demographics, traffic patterns and growth trends.
Representatives from Perkins have suggested setting up shop in the cafe — with lunch and breakfast menus — while also offering conference rooms for downtown meetings. No agreement has been reached thus far.
Cerni says in addition to Perkins, there have been “quite a few” people who have expressed interest not only in the old cafe, but also the rest of the Drew Building, which carries a $1.5 million price tag and offers 10,828 square feet.
“People inquire about it all the time,” said Cerni, adding as downtown development continues to move forward, demand for real estate in and around the area will likely increase.
Cerni said if Perkins were to acquire the property, the other tenants in the building, which include the Daniel James Salon and the Nature Conservatory, have expressed interest in remaining in the building.
“It is an excellent location,” said Cerni. “You’ve got so many people working in the Modis Building [Independent Square] and the Bank of America building who just go to the Landing for lunch.”
Whether or not the building is sold to Perkins, Cerni maintains that the lease — which totals $2,553 a month for the 2,500 square-foot cafe space, is still up for grabs. She suggested, however, that someone with experience in the restaurant business might make a more likely candidate.
“The restaurant business is a hard one,” said Cerni. “You really need to know what you’re doing.”
The Memphis-based restaurant chain serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
“We also serve a full line of freshly baked muffins, cookies, pies and desserts, which are made fresh on premises daily,” said Vivian Brooks, a spokesperson for Perkins.
There are two Perkins restaurants in Jacksonville, one on Beach Boulevard and the other on San Jose Boulevard.
Brooks declined comment on a possible downtown location.