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2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After 26 years, another Jacksonville craft brewery and restaurant calls it quits
💻 Sign up for Dining Notes, the free weekly restaurant newsletter from the Times-Union's Gary Mills delivered to your email inbox each Wednesday. Sign up now. 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. More closings: Restaurants we've lost in Jacksonville in 2025 "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. 'With heavy hearts': Jacksonville's last Burrito Gallery abruptly closes 'Uncorked. Unbothered': New wine bar opens at former microbrewery in historic Springfield 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@ If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery permanently closes in Jacksonville, FL
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
After nearly 42 years, Jacksonville area's first microbrewery, landmark restaurant closes
After more than 40 years, Atlantic Beach dining landmark Ragtime Tavern has closed. A restaurant employee confirmed the closing Monday morning after reports circulated on social media, including a photo of a sign in the restaurant's window announcing the closure: 'Unfortunately, we have permanently closed. Thank you for allowing us to serve the Atlantic Beach community for the last 30+ years.' The restaurant, at 207 Atlantic Blvd., has served 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. Located across from North Beach Fish Camp, Flying Iguana and Beaches Town Center mainstay Mezza Luna, Ragtime's legendary status there is only outmatched by Pete's Bar. 'Legendary' restaurants: These Jacksonville spots stand the test of time Bought by Southern California-based Kelly Companies from Houston-based SPB Hospitality a month ago, Ragtime's closing comes eight months after storied A1A Ale Works — another SPB Hospitality concept — closed in St. Augustine after 29 years. (Seven Bridges Grille & Brewery, also recently acquired by Kelly Companies, remains open at 9735 Gate Parkway N. in Tinseltown.) In its early years, Ragtime was known for its Cajun-style seafood. In 1991, owners Tom and Bill Morton expanded the restaurant, adding a taproom and later, the area's first microbrewery, the Times-Union reported. The Morton brothers would go on to launch A1A Ale Works in 1995. In 1998, the brothers sold the restaurants to Big River Breweries, which would go on to launch Seven Bridges. In 2020, SPB Hospitality, under Specialty Restaurant Group II LLC, took over the restaurants. And just last month, SPB Hospitality sold Ragtime and Seven Bridges to Kelly Companies, based in Southern California, Nation's Restaurant News reported. Be the first to know: Sign up for our weekly Dining Notes newsletter to get the latest on restaurant openings, closings and more Coming this year: 25 new restaurants are in the works for the Jacksonville area in 2025. Here's a list (This story was updated to include new information.) This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ragtime Tavern permanently closes in Atlantic Beach
