by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Contrary to what you may have heard, Cafe Nola is technically not leaving the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.
MOCA Jacksonville, previously the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art, is dipping into the restaurant business starting in February. Cafe Nola will remain inside the museum, but owners Pam and Bruce Pollett are moving on and plan to open a new restaurant in the spring.
“Cafe Nola will fall under museum management instead of outside management,” said Troy Spurlin, director of special events and marketing for MOCA Jacksonville. “Restaurant staff members will work directly for the museum.”
Spurlin said having the restaurant under their management was a natural progression for the museum.
“Everything will fall under one umbrella,” he said. “The museum shop and now the Cafe.”
The museum is very excited to take on this new venture.
“It is a cool opportunity to have a comprehensive artful approach where the food will complement the museum’s art,” he said.
The museum plans to open the new Cafe Nola in early February.
“There may be a two-week period where we are not operating because there are a few things we want to upgrade in the kitchen,” said Spurlin.
Once the museum has a handle on their new “business,” they hope to start serving dinner and brunch on Wednesdays and Sundays.
As for the Polletts, they too have been going through a few changes. The couple closed Chives restaurant in San Marco to begin work on their new restaurant on Riverside Avenue called Rosemary and Chives.
Pam said Rosemary and Chives will be located inside the new Everbank Building. The Polletts will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner and will offer both a market and an upscale restaurant.
Even though the Polletts had a good experience at the museum, they are looking forward to opening their new restaurant.
“It was a great experience,” said Pam. “It was a great venue for us to grow.”
Pam said Chives and Cafe Nola were both small restaurants and they can’t wait to have one big restaurant.
“We will have a nice big catering kitchen ... Our space was always very limited,” she said. “We are also going to be open for dinner and on the weekends for the first time.”
Even though they will no longer be in the core of Downtown, the Polletts believe they have picked a good centralized location for both businesses and residents.
“We met so many wonderful people Downtown and we hope they will move forward with us to our new place,” said Pam.