by David Chapman
Staff Writer
You don’t have to go to Club TSI just at night anymore — now you can visit in the day and grab a bite to eat, too.
Taking advantage of one of the club’s most popular nighttime features, The Sidewalk Cafe at TSI recently opened its window to breakfast- and lunch-goers in the Downtown area.
“The food service and menu has been really popular at night,” said Ryan Rummell, TSI owner. “So we decided to try it out during the day.”
Calling it a “test run” that could go on for a couple months, The Sidewalk Cafe at TSI features a menu of beer-boiled hot dogs and bratwursts, “simple sandwiches” and an assortment of snacks.
One aspect of the nighttime scene that has found its way onto the menu isn’t food at all, as The Sidewalk Cafe also offers draft and bottled beer along with wine.
“So far we’ve had a lot of people stopping by and grabbing a beer,” said Rummell, who said the first couple weeks of business have been upbeat. “We’ve had jurors who came over and grab one, too.
“I just hope we don’t get hit with a contempt of court.”
With outdoor seating and a prime location at 333 E. Bay St. — directly across from the Courthouse, a street away from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and along the heavily pedestrian Bay Street — Rummell hopes to see the daytime aspect of the business succeed.
Many of the early clientele have taken advantage of that location, as numerous police officers, jurors and lawyers have stopped by for a meal.
“We want to keep it simple for customers, especially ones in a hurry,” said Rummell. “Just eat and go if they need to.”
The new service isn’t cost prohibitive, said Rummell, as the success of the same service during nighttime hours has afforded ownership to experiment.
“Since we reopened (in September), business has been great,” he said. “Now we’re just trying something new and meeting a lot of people who work Downtown.”
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