Ember & Iron says it plans to open Seven Pines restaurant in 2028

Restaurants

Ember & Iron says it plans to open its second Northeast Florida restaurant in 2028 in The Village at Seven Pines.

The Village at Seven Pines is a Publix-anchored shopping center adjacent to the Seven Pines neighborhood, which is north of Butler and west of Kernan boulevards in Jacksonville.

At a groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 18 for the center, Ember & Iron was announced along with 1928 Cuban Bistro, Chase Bank, RE Spa, Pottery Barn Kids, ToyTopia and Williams Sonoma.

Ember & Iron is owned by chef Michael Cooney and his wife, Brittany Cooney. She is the daughter of Firehouse Subs founder Chris Sorensen.

Brittany and Mike Cooney, the owners of Gemma Fish + Oyster, also are the founders of the Ember & Iron restaurant.

It will be their third restaurant. Besides the original Ember & Iron, which opened in 2021 at 60 Shops Blvd. in the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway, they own Gemma Fish + Oyster at 2039 Hendricks Ave., Unit 111, in San Marco. Gemma opened in 2023.

A Feb. 18 news release said plans for Ember & Iron include a 4,900-square-foot restaurant with inside and outside seating, as well as a private dining space. It will start with dinner service and gradually add lunch and weekend brunch.

The restaurant is being designed by Rebecca Davisson Interior Design, of Jacksonville. The contractor is Serrafin Master Builders of Ponte Vedra Beach.

“Our success at Ember & Iron is rooted in the embrace of our community. St. Johns has allowed us to serve them from the heart – and hearth– and become part of their lives and celebrations over the last five years,” said Brittany Cooney in the release.

The Seven Pines residential and commercial development at southeast Butler Boulevard and Interstate 295.

“Mike and I look forward to bringing our signature hospitality and ember-roasted dishes, made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, to our new neighbors at Seven Pines.”

Ember & Iron at The Village at Seven Pines is expected to employ about 40 team members.

Much of the the restaurant’s menu is prepared over an 8-foot-long oak-fueled hearth grill. The full menu will be served at Seven Pines with seafood, beef, pork and poultry dishes.

The Gemma Fish + Oyster raw bar will also be featured. There will be a full bar.

The restaurant website says, “An idea that originates with camp-fire cooking, Ember & Iron represents a close gathering of loved ones surrounding the warmth of a fire.”