After 26 years, another Jacksonville craft brewery and restaurant calls it quits
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One of Jacksonville's best-known craft breweries has abruptly shut its doors after 26 years, with its owners saying the business was no longer financially sustainable.
Lunchtime customers arrived June 24 to find Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery, at 9735 Gate Parkway N. in Tinseltown, empty except for a few employees doing inventory and other final details, including preparing to hang up a "closed" sign.
"It's due to a lack of business," Jonathan Blair, chief operating officer of the Kelly Companies of Southern California, a private equity company which owns Seven Bridges and multiple other restaurants, told the Times-Union.
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"I feel bad for our team, but we couldn't turn it around," said Blair, adding the company is reaching out to other restaurants in an effort to help former Seven Bridges employees find new jobs.
"We haven't gotten that far," said Blair when asked about the possibility of Seven Bridges reopening, relocating, or changing concepts.
Dating back to January 1999, Seven Bridges was known for its multiple craft beers on tap as well as its food menu, including steaks, burgers, wings, sandwiches, pizza, and salads.
The closure comes five months after another longtime microbrewery, Ragtime Tavern, shut its doors, ending nearly 42 years at 207 Atlantic Blvd. in Atlantic Beach.
Ragtime had similar offerings, such as craft beer, seafood, steaks, and more, at the high-profile corner of First Street and Atlantic Boulevard since it first opened with just 12 tables in 1983.
The Kelly Companies bought both Seven Bridges and Ragtime plus three other brewery brands — Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, ChopHouse & Brewery — from SPB Hospitality of Houston, Texas, last December, Nation's Restaurant News reported.
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Jekyll Brewing, 131 1st Ave. N. in Jax Beach Town Center in Jacksonville Beach, closed May 10 after almost two years.
Barley & Pie Brewing Co.: Just nine months after opening on Fleming Island, the restaurant known for its signature American lager Clay Lite, and handcrafted sourdough neo-Neapolitan pizzas closed April 5.
A1A Ale Works: After 29 years, closed at 1 King St. in St. Augustine.
Hyperion Brewing Co.: At 1744 N Main St. in Jacksonville's historic Springfield neighborhood, closed in March 2024 after more than six years.
Brewer's Pizza: The home of Pinglehead Brewing Company, 14B Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park, closed in November 2023 after 14 years.
Lemonstreet Brewing Co.: At 2100 Dennis St. in Jacksonville's Rail Yard District, closed in December 2023 after four years.
Tabula Rasa Brewery: At 2385 Corbett St., also in the Rail Yard District, closed in August 2023 after five years.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery permanently closes in Jacksonville, FL
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