by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
One of Jacksonville’s newest entertainment businesses is considered “one large restaurant with entertainment options” by its creators.
The one constant at Latitude 30, a new 50,000-square-foot entertainment complex on Philips Highway across from The Avenues Mall, is that food service is available just about anywhere. Food is available at the Sunset 30 Tavern & Grill inside the center or outside on the adjoining patio.
There’s also food in the Skybox Sports Theater; the AXIS Bar; the CineGrille, a 90-seat movie theater; Latitude LIVE, a “Vegas-style showroom”; and The Lanes at Latitude 30, a 20-lane bowling facility equipped with plush leather couches.
“We developed this concept for a small ski town in Colorado, (called) Winter Park,” said Jacksonville native Damon Brush, founding partner of Latitude 30.
“We found that it fit in that setting and I saw there was nothing like this in my hometown, so we looked into bringing the concept to Jacksonville.”
The project cost $11 million.
A site at the St. Johns Town Center was considered, but the former Toys R Us store on Philips Highway offered a building, parking and access that suited the needs of the project.
“We are centrally located, so we can attract people from Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties,” said Brush.
The entertainment venue is promoted among several age groups, featuring 90 high-definition televisions, bowling, interactive video and prize games, billiards and movies.
The bowling facility is the first Brunswick Bowling and Billiards rep Eric Lindfors remembers being built in Jacksonville in the past 40 years.
The pin setters can be programmed to allow bowlers to practice knocking down specific combinations of pins, like the bedpost or 7-10 split. Also, each of the lanes is equipped with bumpers for younger bowlers. They can be deployed and retracted at the press of a button.
Another feature is the ticketless arcade. Some arcade games dispense tickets that customers can collect to redeem for prizes at the end of their stay. The machines at Latitude 30 record those credits on a game card, which eliminates the strands of tickets that can be accumulated in a night and also reduces expense of supplying the tickets.
The employees managing and staffing the complex are provided by Trifecta Management Group, which was hired by Brush and co-developer Brent Brown to manage the day-to-day operation of the complex.
General Manager Adam Kleinhenz oversees a staff of about 110 employees, including 14 salaried managers. He expects the staff to expand to about 130 within the month.
“We want to provide a fun experience for every age group. Adults can have just as much fun in the arcade as the kids can,” said Kleinhenz.
Latitude 30 is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Wednesday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Thursday-Friday; and 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday.
356-2466