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Angie’s is opening April 3 at 299 Atlantic Blvd. in Atlantic Beach.
Like the original Angie’s Subs at 1436 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach, patrons will be surrounded by art, Beaches memorabilia and a few deer heads and other taxidermy.
Owner Ed Malin calls himself the museum director.
Malin opens the Atlantic Beach Angie’s in the former T-Dub’s clothing store and speakeasy, a couple of doors down from the former Ragtime Tavern where he tended bar for 10 years.
The Corner, as locals call it, means a lot to Malin.
“I started off in Texas, but this is where I where I really learned the restaurant business. It’s kind of special to come back here and be on The Corner. This is a special place.”
The new Angie’s will employ 26 workers.
Restaurant hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and until midnight Saturday. It is closed Sunday.
He is staying open later to make way for another change.
Angie’s will serve beer and wine. The bar in the front room was formerly part of Ragtime’s Tap Room. He also pays homage to Ragtime by hanging a picture of the Tap Room the day before it opened in 1990.
“You can’t really be on The Corner without beer and wine because of the expensive rent. I mean, we would have to sell a lot more subs,” Malin said.
“What the beer and wine bar gives us is the opportunity to sell beer and wine during the slow period, which is really happy hour.”
He plans to have a happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. He’ll have a daily appetizer.
With Ragtime closed, it only makes sense to have beer and wine, he said.
“Ragtime is gone. The Ragtime refugees is what the people on The Corner are calling them. We’re going to adopt the Ragtime refugees.”
The extra hours and the addition of beer and wine will help him pay the higher rent that is demanded for businesses on The Corner.
It also is why the new location is called Angie’s instead of Angie’s Subs. Malin didn’t think the name “Angie’s Subs” sounded like a place to have a beer.
Angie’s will have the same menu as the original with a few additions. One will be a yellow rice and black bean bowl topped with smoked brisket or chicken or pulled pork.
The restaurant has a large painting by Anthony Rooney of Bill the Butcher from the movie “Gangs of New York.” Instead of New York City, the gang leader is in a more tropical setting.
It’s one of Malin’s favorite movies.
The walls also contain art by Gary Mack, J.E. Draper and Josh Phares, all local artists.
It didn’t take long for Angie’s to have the similar cluttered look of Angie’s Subs.
Regulars and longtime Beach residents brought stuff by nearly every day as it was being built-out. The wood walls are made of restored planks from barns. They were barely naked for a day before the memorabilia started going up.
Other items of note include the framed stained glass from the former First Street Grille, an antique alligator hide, an old Fletcher High School football helmet and even the shuffleboard table that was in T-Dub’s.
In the former speakeasy area, he has built a small stage for music or karaoke later at night. The former T-Dub’s sign will soon hang on a wall there. One wall that will not be decorated is the original exposed brick and cracked windows that was the back of the building before the speakeasy was added.
Besides the Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach shops, Malin licensed the Angie’s Subs name for a small location at Jacksonville International Airport. It may subliminally spread the word about his Beach locations.
“Angie’s at the airport gives us a ton of name and brand recognition,” Malin said. “There is a tourist base right here on The Corner to serve.”
There are a couple of reasons for opening in Atlantic Beach.
“I opened a second so that I can open a third.”
He also took on longtime employees Kam Nix and Kelly Mullarkey as partners.
“I want them to have the opportunity to grow with the business and retire early. I want them to help me retire.”
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