Town Center restaurant Ida Claire is being converted into a sister concept, Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar.
Dallas-based FB Society, parent of Whiskey Cake Holdings and Ida Claire, among other concepts, confirmed the opening in a statement Jan. 24.
Ida Claire remains open for business and will continue to operate normal business hours into March, the company said in the statement.
“We anticipate a late summer 2024 opening of Whiskey Cake,” it said.
“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,” it said.
Its website is https://whiskeycake.com.
The city is reviewing a permit application for an estimated $890,000 conversion of the more than 6,700-square-foot restaurant into the 314-seat Whiskey Cake. The cost will be finalized as the permit undergoes review.
The Airstream trailer used as outdoor lounge space for Ida Claire is not part of the Whiskey Cake plans.
Ida Claire is described as a Southern-inspired destination with a menu of lunch, supper, brunch, “vinyl hour” and beverages and cocktails.
Ida Claire menu items include a focus on crab, oysters, creole gumbo, shrimp and grits, chicken, muffuletta, steak and more. Lunch plates, sandwiches and salads start at $14. Supper plates start at $18.
Ida Claire’s hours are 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
Ida-Claire.com shows three locations – Jacksonville and two in Texas.
Whiskey Cake
Whiskeycake.com describes its concept as “an American tavern with modern takes on classic comfort food, innovative craft cocktails, and a killer spirits library.”
Whiskey Cake has 10 locations, comprising eight in Texas, one in Oklahoma and one in Tampa.
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 Chickenbridger 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.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.
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 be removed and the awning will be extended there.
Zebra Architecture PLLC of Scottsdale, Arizona, is the architect.
The location
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 property in April 2019 from FLLM LLC, based in Orlando, for $2.7 million.
After a conversion, Ida Claire opened on the 1.23-acre site in November 2019.
Investor Balwant BK LLC of Bainbridge Island, Washington, bought the property for $5.25 million in July 2021 from FB-635 RE LLC.
When it opened, Ida Claire said it would seat 302 inside, the bar and lounge will seat 65 and the patio, 64.
Ida-claire.com describes its restaurant as “an intriguing, southern-inspired destination for relaxing suppers, slow weekend brunching or a meeting hub for business lunches and happy hour.”
Plans show that the renovations to Mimi’s included remodeling the interior to open up the rooms and allow a view into the kitchen expo area and to relocate the bar to add operable windows to allow a pass-through to the patio.
And the Airstream.
Nation’s Restaurant News
In August 2023, Nation’s Restaurant News ranked Dallas-based FB Society, with 30 units, at No.16 on its list of America’s Top 25 restaurant groups.
A summary by Senior Editor Ron Ruggless said:
“Dallas-based FB Society, a concept creator and operator, was cofounded by Randy DeWitt and Jack Gibbons in 2005. The group has already spun off two brands, the fast-casual Velvet Taco in 2021 and the casual-dining chain Twin Peaks in 2020.
“FB Society has launched over 20 brands. Its Food Hall Co. division oversees Legacy Food Hall, which opened in 2017 in Plano, Texas; and the Assembly Hall, which opened in 2021 in Nashville, Tenn.
“The Whiskey Cake Holdings division includes 10 units of Whiskey Cake, which was founded in 2010, as well as three Mexican Sugar (founded in 2013) units and eight Sixty Vines (founded in 2016) restaurants. Other brands include one location of The Ranch, opened 2008, as well as two locations of Haywire (2017), three of the Southern-inspired Ida Claire (2015) and three of the fast-casual Son of a Butcher Slider Bar (2020).”
Nation’s Restaurant News quoted CEO Gibbons:
“At FB Society, innovation and experience are the lifeblood of our company, driving every decision we make,” he said.
“It’s embedded in our DNA and fuels our passion for creating extraordinary hospitality experiences. We believe true innovation in hospitality comes from challenging the status quo, embracing change, and daring to think outside the box. It’s about courage. That’s the foundation of our philosophy at FB Society.”
Nation’s Restaurant News, at nrn.com, says it is the only independent publication covering and serving the entire foodservice industry.
NRN is part of The Restaurant & Food Group by the Informa Connect business-to-business integrated media group.