Days after the closing of Akel’s Deli in the Bank of America Tower, the restaurant reopened under a new name Oct. 27 at 1 Independent Square.
Akel’s Deli & Grille is in the former Royal Palm Cafe space at 1 Independent Drive, formerly the Wells Fargo Center.
Owner Jonathan Bateh said Akel’s lease at Bank of America Tower, at 50 N. Laura St., was set to expire at the end of November. The 1 Independent Square spot became available in the summer, offering the restaurant an opportunity to expand its menu and provide more seating.
“I see about 80% of our regulars staying with us and walking over here. It’s only a half-block away,” Bateh said.
The move was a five-day process. Bateh added kitchen equipment, including a fryer that will allow him to add fries, made-in-house chicken tenders and other items to his menu. The name change reflects those additions.
Bateh did not disclose the cost of the move.
The new menu will include four-piece ($9.99) and six-piece ($12.99) chicken tender platters with fries and coleslaw. Preparation options for tenders are fried, blackened or grilled.
Burgers are $9.49 to $11.49 and served with fries and coleslaw. An extra patty is available for $4.99.
Regulars will find the new menu carries over the items from Akel’s Deli, including sandwiches, pitas, soup and salads. The restaurant serves breakfast from 7-10:30 a.m.
The Bateh family has operated businesses in Jacksonville for generations.
Jonathan Bateh’s father, Johnny, ran a Springfield pharmacy. His grandfather, Mousa, had a small store near Treaty Oak on the Downtown Southbank.
Cousin Marwan Akel started the Akel’s Deli concept in the late 1970s on Long Island, New York, and moved it to Jacksonville in the 1990s.
The family previously operated in the former JEA building on Church Street as well as the location now home to Indulgence Southern Bistro on Forsyth Street.
Bateh and his brother, Matthew, bought the Bank of America location in 2015.
Two years later, Christie Bateh Blackburn opened Ground Level, a coffee shop in the lobby of the Bank of America Tower across from Akel’s Deli. It sold pastries, beverages and coffee products. She sold coffee from Jacksonville-based Bold Bean Coffee Roasters.
Bateh Blackburn closed her shop and hasn’t decided on her plans, Jonathan Bateh said. The closure came amid plans for Starbucks Coffee Co. to build-out next to Ground Level’s space.
Matthew Bateh recently left the business to take a corporate job. The new position is a better fit for him and his growing family because it offers insurance benefits, Jonathan Bateh said.
Jonathan Bateh said he wasted no time starting the move to 1 Independent Square.
“We served the last customer at 2:10 (p.m.) and the movers were here at 2:20. I suspect we’ll have plumbers and electricians working until midnight Sunday,” he said during the final day of the former restaurant.
Opening a new restaurant in less than a week took plenty of planning, he said.
“There were months leading up to this to allow us to move with minimal downtime,” Jonathan Bateh said. “We put (in) a lot of hard work putting this place together. No hiccups so far.”
The new space, at 5,600 square feet, is twice as large as the former Akel’s. It has 96 seats inside as well as space for extra tables outside, compared with 35 seats in the Bank of America Tower. The new space came with a furnished dining room with tables and chairs.
Akel’s Deli & Grille is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.