Kingfish Grill, a waterfront restaurant in St. Augustine, is moving and its building is headed for demolition.
The last day for the restaurant at 252 Yacht Club Drive, where it operated for 20 years, is May 11. It is in Windward at Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor.
Kingfish Grill is moving about 5 miles southwest to 504 W. Geoffrey St., on an outparcel at Cobblestone Village, a shopping center off Florida 312. A staffer said it hopes to reopen by mid-June.
St. Johns County issued a demolition permit May 9 to raze the Yacht Club Drive building. St. Augustine-based England Classic Homes is the demolition contractor.
According to kingfishgrill.com, the restaurant was founded in 2005 by New England-based restaurateur Paul Mackey.
In a Sept. 23, 2024, Instagram post, Mackey wrote: “The new owners of Camachee Island Marina, who now own the building we occupy, have decided to move in a different direction and will not be renewing our 20-year lease.”
“We would also like to take this time to extend our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support over the past 20 years in this location. You have made Kingfish Grill a beloved fixture in our community,” he wrote.
The restaurant was scheduled to vacate March 1, but delays allowed it to continue operating month-to-month.
Windward Marina Group, through Windward Camachee Marina Owner LLC, purchased Camachee Island Marina from Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor Inc. and Camachee Island Co. Inc. on Sept. 2, 2021, for $12 million. The marina was renamed Windward at Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor.
A Windward staffer said sister company Windward Restaurant Group plans to develop a higher-end restaurant on the site.
A second building at 235 Yacht Club Drive, behind MisStress Charters’ boat slip, also is planned for demolition. However, MisStress Charters will continue operating there, as it only uses the building for its street address.