Jim’s Place, an Arlington landmark for 33 years, will close Jan. 1.
Jim Jones III, 78, decided to close the business and sell the property due to health reasons.
He has had two bouts of cancer since 2000 and has endured two strokes in recent years. The former U.S. Army drill instructor and recruiter for AT&T has decided it is time to quit the grind of operating a nightclub.
Jones came to the well-worn door of his club at 7900 Arlington Expressway on Dec. 4 and unlocked it. He had been cleaning the reminders of another successful Sunday night. Napkins on the floor, a few dirty glasses on some tables and even an uneaten chicken wing needed attention.
“I have devoted all my energy to this place. I’m the janitor and bookkeeper,” he said.
He no longer tends bar because he admits having a hard time remembering a long drink order.
His nightclub is one of the few remaining from when the Arlington and Regency area were Jacksonville entertainment hubs.
Nightly the deejay spins R&B, blues, classic Top 40 but very little rap.
He offers some food but his primary business is revelry and relaxation.
Customers making their last visits to Jim’s Place have expressed their appreciation to him for remaining open all these years.
“This place has a lot of memories for me and my customers. I didn’t know I had so much love. All of the comments have been positive,” Jones said.
“People met their spouses here. Now, their grown kids come here. I’ve served a purpose here.”
District 1 City Council Member Ken Amaro, who represents the Arlington area, said of Jim’s Place: “Jim’s Place has been a cornerstone of entertainment for decades, and with few problems, if any to the Arlington community. It will be missed, but there are exciting things on the horizon that will transform Arlington.”
Into the bar business
The Pensacola native married his high school sweetheart, Gloria, 60 years ago. They came to Jacksonville in 1980.
Later he was sent to Orlando and laid off in 1989.
Friends at a bar he frequented offered him a job and there he learned the business.
He saved money to start his own place, but Jones didn’t want to do so in Orlando.
He didn’t want to compete with his employer and Orlando’s tourist-driven traffic made him turn north to return to Jacksonville.
In 1991, he bought the former TGI Fridays building and started Jim’s Place. The 8,544-square-foot building sits on 1.84 acres.
Over the years, his Army training has set the bar’s tone. No backward hats. No baggy pants hanging past the hips. He tolerates no nonsense. He can’t remember the last bar fight or serious altercation.
“I tell them to dress to impress,” he said.
Over the years, Jones developed a reputation as a no-nonsense guy.
After the pandemic, he decided to save $300 a night and not rehire off-duty police officers.
“I already trained everybody how to act,” he said.
“Oh, my customers always compliment me on my mannerisms, my authority position on how people should behave.”
Another subtle way he keeps the peace is insisting that his customers be at least 25 years old. The cover is $10 after 8 p.m. He sells no bottles, just shots.
“People get drunk when you sell bottles,” he said.
A large sign at the entrance greets customers. It explains the why and when of the closing. Above it is a picture of a dapper 50-something-year-old Jones in a suit. It was that style that landed him the job with BellSouth.
While in the Army he was stationed in South Korea and in Germany. He bought tailored suits in both countries.
When he applied at BellSouth, which later became AT&T, he said he made an impression.
In the early 1970s, the company was trying to hire more minorities and it found his Army experience and appearance suited to be a recruiter for the company, he said.
Health issues, rising costs
Recent health problems and a pandemic lull in business led him to decide to close the bar. Costs are increasing as well.
“I got a $5,000 light bill this year. Before it would be around $1,500,” he said.
Jim’s Place has been open Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. The monthlong closing has been a four-hour nightly happy hour.
When he locks the doors for the last time, Jim’s Place will be no more. He has a deal to sell the building and property, he said. He expects that the building will be torn down and replaced with apartments.
His retirement plan also includes selling the valuable 4COP liquor license.
He and Gloria want to sell their home in Marsh Landing and move into a condo closer to Mayo Clinic on San Pablo Boulevard. He has no plans to travel or vacation. He just wants to relax.
“I’m going to take it easy and aggravate my wife every day,” he joked.
“I don’t want to do anything else.”
