13-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Podcast: Craig Smith talks Alhambra Theatre revival, business acquisitions
In the latest episode of Florida Business Minds, Jacksonville entrepreneur Craig Smith joins JBJ Editor in Chief James Cannon to share how he's turned passion projects into cornerstones of the local business community — including breathing new life into the historic Alhambra Theatre and acquiring St. Johns Food Service.
Smith, who got his start selling beepers and troubleshooting failing franchises before he was old enough to drink, opens up about buying legacy businesses with little prior experience in their industries. From saving the Alhambra from closure in 2009 to transforming a 70-year-old food distribution company into a strategic asset, Smith reflects on lessons in leadership, reinvestment, and what it means to build a business with purpose.
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He discusses the challenges of competing with national brands, the emotional weight of running a theater that's created lifelong memories for generations of families, and his plans for the newly acquired Dick's Wings and the St. Augustine "Big Red Bus."
'My leadership style is simple,' Smith says. 'I think about every one of the 150 people who work with me when I make a decision.'
Sponsored by TECO Peoples Gas, the Florida Business Minds audio series features candid conversations with business leaders from the Orlando, South Florida, Tampa Bay and Jacksonville regions.
Find more Florida Business Minds podcasts here.
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