The city issued a permit April 17 for the conversion of Ida Claire at Town Center into a sister concept, Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar.
Ida Claire closed March 10 after Dallas-based FB Society, parent of both restaurant concepts, confirmed Jan. 24 that Ida Claire will become Whiskey Cake.
And Ida Claire’s signature Airstream trailer used as outdoor lounge space will remain for Whiskey Cake.
“We are planning to renovate the Airstream to make an ideal place to sip a craft cocktail and create new stories,” said FB Society Chief Brand Officer Rae Phillips-Luther on April 16.
Phillips-Luther expects to open Whiskey Cake in midsummer and keep Ida Claire General Manager Jabari Simpson and many of the 60 to 80 existing employees.
Accelerated Construction Services, with offices in Orlando and Texas, is the contractor for the $890,000 interior and exterior remodeling of the more than 6,700-square-foot property at 10209 River Coast Drive.
It will have 314 seats, including 62 on the patio. Private dining is available for 42 seats, or 84 standing.
“Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar is an everyday urban tavern with wood-fired and full flavored dishes, innovative craft cocktails, a killer library of spirits and an array of exclusive barrel picks,” says website whiskeycake.com.
Ida Claire is described as a Southern-inspired destination with a menu of lunch, supper, brunch, “vinyl hour” and beverages and cocktails. It opened in Jacksonville in November 2019.
Ida Claire currently has two Texas locations in Addison and San Antonio.
Whiskey Cake has 10 locations, comprising eight in Texas, one in Oklahoma and one in Tampa.
“There’s a gap in the market,” Phillips-Luther said in a February interview.
“We really believe that a craft-centric American tavern is going to resonate deeply with Jacksonville residents, and certainly, a highly curated selection of whiskey and bourbon spirits. It’s going to be a really awesome opportunity both for our team and for and for the area,” she said.
The Tampa menu includes lunch and dinner, brunch, drinks, a whiskey list and social hour.
Lunch and dinner includes snacks, comprising 11 from flash-fried Brussels sprouts for $9.50 to a butcher board for $18; 10 mains from $20 Harvest Shepherd’s Pie to a $41 ribeye; five sandwiches from the $16 Chickenbirdger to the $18.50 Smoked Tri Tip Dip; six salads from the $6 farm salad to the $18 lemongrass shrimp & noodle; as well as sides, kids’ meals and juices. For the sandwiches, a vegan patty can be subbed for $2.
The whiskey list includes American, rye, bourbon, scotch, single malt scotch, Canadian, Irish, Texas and worldly (three from Japan). The 2-ounce pours range from $8 (Jim Beam) to $300 (Macallan 25 year).
The Tampa hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
Phillips-Luther said Ida Claire faced difficult timing.
“Ida Claire opened right before the pandemic began, and it’s just hard to gain momentum after that kind of entry,” she said.
FB Society rebranded in 2020 from Front Burner Restaurants LLC.
In permit information, the restaurant owner for Whiskey Cake is shown as Front Burner Restaurants of Dallas.
Plans show bar and dining areas, patio dining and private dining.
Plans call for remodeling the space with new interior finishes and furniture; redoing the exterior finishes; construction of new parapets; replacing patio furniture; and the existing Airstream trailer that had been converted to a lounge space will remain.
Zebra Architecture PLLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, is the architect.
It would be the third restaurant at the building developed in 2005 at 10209 River Coast Drive. It opened as Mimi’s Cafe on an outparcel in the first phase of St. Johns Town Center. Mimi’s closed in April 2019.
Ida Claire Jacksonville LLC bought the 1.23-acre property in April 2019 from FLLM LLC, based in Orlando, for $2.7 million.
