Self-serve beer and new options for pizza and frozen drinks would become available to Downtown visitors and commuters under proposals that will be considered by a Downtown Investment Authority committee April 11.
The Retail Enhancement and Property Disposition Committee’s agenda includes incentives for three drinking and dining establishments in the heart of Downtown.
They are Pizza Dynamo and a connected Pour Taproom on the ground floor of the VyStar parking garage at Forsyth and Laura streets, and the Co-op Frose & Eatery in the newly renovated Florida Baptist Convention Building.
The proposed incentives are:
• $207,350 for Pizza Dynamo, comprising a $192,350 grant through the DIA’s Food & Beverage Retail Enhancement Program and a $15,000 grant to help create a sidewalk dining area.
• $215,000 for Pour Taproom, comprising a $200,000 in FAB-REP grant and a $15,000 sidewalk improvement grant.
• $156,240 in FAB-REP grant funding for Co-op Frose & Eatery.
The DIA’s targeted FAB-REP grants aim to spur development of food and beverage establishments in two targeted areas – The Elbow district near Ocean and Bay streets and the Hogan/Laura streets district. Development in those areas is part of the DIA’s goals to attract new businesses, residents and visitors to Downtown.
Pizza Dynamo
According to a DIA staff report, Urban Dough LLC and Vystar Credit Union filed the Pizza Dynamo application. The restaurant would be the first expansion of the Pizza Jeans restaurant in Atlanta, a New York-style pizzeria that started as a pop-up inside the James Beard-nominated chef Chris Wilkins’ Root Baking Co.
The report says the Pizza Dynamo-Pour Taproom tandem will occupy 7,600 square feet of the parking garage’s ground floor plus 2,500 square feet on the mezzanine level. An indoor-outdoor bar and sidewalk seating also are planned.
“The décor at Pizza Dynamo Jacksonville will transport customers back to the days of grabbing a slice and a cola with friends,” the report says. “They compose an atmosphere that evokes a sense of nostalgia, creating an immersive experience that brings back memories of simpler times. From vintage arcade games to retro-inspired artwork, every detail is designed to enhance the overall ambiance and take guests on a journey through their favorite moments.”
The menu at the Atlanta location includes pizza slices from $4 to $5.50 and whole pies from $20.50 to $25.50, with upsell options for extra toppings. Sandwiches, a house salad and cannoli also are on the menu.
Plans call for the restaurant to employ two or three full-time managers plus a staff of 20 full- or part-time employees.
Together, construction costs for build-out for Pizza Dynamo and Pour Taproom are estimated at $3.67 million. Sidewalk enhancements are estimated at $20,656 for the pizzeria and $50,609 for the taproom.
Pour Taproom
Pour Taproom will offer more than 80 beers and wines available through a self-service system that allows patrons to draw 1 to 16 ounces of beverages at a time. The flexibility lets customers sample different beers, create their own flights or pour themselves full pints.
The system is activated through a bracelet that must be reauthorized by staffers after two drink equivalents are dispensed.
The taproom, part of an Atlanta-based chain, also will offer food items such as sliders, egg rolls, sandwiches, wraps, salads and shareable plates, with pricing from $5 to $12.
The establishment would employ 20 workers.
Hours for the adjoined Pizza Dynamo and Pour Taproom will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
VyStar announced on April 4, 2023, that Pour Taproom would locate in the 759-space parking garage.
The staff report says Pour Taproom will offer views of the corner of Laura and Forsyth streets through large bay windows and plans to add an entertainment stage and open mezzanine for regular seating and private events.
Co-op Frose & Eatery
For Co-op Frose & Eatery, total build-out and equipment costs are estimated at $666,935 for 2,200 square feet in one of the historic Florida Baptist Convention Building’s two retail bays.
A staff report says Co-op was founded as a grab-and-go establishment on Sullivan’s Island near Charleston, South Carolina, and took on its current concept after it was purchased in 2012. Its signature product, frose, is a frozen, slushy mix of dry rose wine, fruit puree and other ingredients. Coffee and tea is also on the menu as are breakfast items, sandwiches and salads.
The main entrance to the Jacksonville establishment will be off Hogan Street through a shared courtyard with the restored Federal Reserve Building. Co-op will share 1,330 feet of outdoor space with the adjacent Sweet Pete’s Candy shop.
Co-op is expected to have five full-time and five part-time employees. Hours are listed as 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Co-op has multiple locations in and around Charleston and also has expanded to Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga and Nashville, Tennessee; and Las Vegas.
Work concluded in mid-2023 on an adaptive reuse of the five-story, nearly 26,000-square-foot Florida Baptist Convention property. In addition to restaurant space, the revived building includes retail suites and studio and one-bedroom apartments on the upper floors.
JWB Real Estate Capital paid $2.4 million for the building and Federal Reserve property in 2020 and spent more than $9 million renovating them. The City Council approved an $8.6 million incentives package for the historic restoration of the two buildings.
The Florida Baptist Convention building was designed by noted Jacksonville architect Henry Klutho and opened in 1924.
FAB-REP grants are in the form of zero-interest loans and are payable upon completion of work. The amount is capped at 50% of the costs of build-out. The grants are forgivable after five years provided the recipient has received no city code violations and maintained their establishments in good condition. If the recipient defaults, the DIA can demand full repayment of the grant funding.
To be eligible, establishments must operate at least five days a week and be open either by 7 a.m., after 9 p.m. or both.
Establishments that have received FAB-REP grants include Ruby Beach Brewery, 228 E. Forsyth St., and The Bread & Board restaurant, 100 W. Bay St.
Ruby Beach received a $75,000 grant, and Bread & Board received $371,590 under the program.
The Retail Enhancement and Property Disposition Committee meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Main Library Downtown.