The city issued a permit April 3 for the first restaurant tenant, Naked Kitchen, in the Future of Cities’ Phoenix Arts & Innovation District’s Liberty Building in North Springfield.
Skyline Construction Inc. of Jacksonville is the contractor listed to renovate the 2,750-square-foot space at a cost of $395,906 at 2336 Liberty St.
Naked Kitchen, which has been catering, offers plant-based, organic and protein options and the motto “Cooking with Conscience.”
The restaurant ownership group comprises spouses Brian Nelson and Alexandra Bowles, managing partner, and their business partner, chef Matt Johnson.
Doherty Sommers Architects Engineers Inc. of Jacksonville Beach is the architect. A state Department of Business & Professional Regulation letter to Nelson and Johnson shows a total of 49 seats and the site plan indicated more.
The restaurant’s website is nakedkitchenjax.com.
Nelson said previously that Naked Kitchen will lease about 2,700 square feet of space with a patio for outdoor dining in an area shared between buildings.
Nelson said Naked Kitchen will seat at least 80. He anticipates 20 to 30 staff members to start.
He anticipated a $400,000 to $500,000 investment to complete the project.
Nelson said the restaurant will start with breakfast and lunch, with dinner added as the rest of the building is ready for use. It will serve beer and wine.
He envisions starting with operating hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closing at 9 p.m. when dinner is added.
With the area a food desert, Nelson said the team wants to serve what the neighbors want, such as complete breakfasts and lunches and grab-and-go items if there is a need.
Offerings will include sandwiches, salads and ancient grain and protein bowls, for example.
Naked Kitchen is the first tenant to sign in the PHX JAX Liberty Building, which is next to The Emerald Station structure that ceremonially opened Oct. 30, 2024.
Emerald Station is a renovated 17,000-square-foot warehouse that features offices, a 10,000-square-foot event space, a kitchen, conference rooms and more.
They are two of several buildings being revitalized in the more than 8-acre Phoenix Arts & Innovation District north of Historic Springfield and east of Main Street.
Plans for the full district include 10 properties, with conversions of four warehouses and green spaces into office space, artist studios, galleries, retail establishments and restaurants. Affordable housing also will be included.
Tony Cho, founding managing partner of PHX JAX and CEO of Miami-based Future of Cities, bought and is developing the properties.
He had a lead role in similar developments that began with adaptive reuse at Miami’s Wynwood Art District, Magic City Innovation District and Little Haiti.
The PHX JAX site is bordered mostly by Main, 15th and Liberty streets and an east-west rail line.
More about Naked Kitchen
Nelson, Bowles and their three children live in Springfield.
“We want to be there for Springfield and have a wonderful place to take your family and have a wholesome weeknight dinner and create a date night atmosphere on the weekend,” Nelson said previously.
Its five-year lease, with options to extend, is with the Future of Cities, which owns the district.
Naked Kitchen’s broker was Cantrell & Morgan sales associate Kayla Deguzman. Future of Cities works with Colliers Senior Vice President Matthew Clark and associates Sam Middlekauff and Olivia Steinemann.
Nelson initially anticipated a 2024 summer-fall opening, but the almost century-old building needed more work.
“With it being a 100-year-old building we ran into some structural issues with reinforcing the roof, etc.,” Nelson said.
“With preserving as much as possible it takes longer than expected vs a new build. We fortunately have overcome these hurdles and are moving forward at a steady pace to meet our projected goals.”
In addition to catering, Naked Kitchen operates pop-ups at area and Springfield events.
The catering menu includes vegetables, tacos, salads, pasta, sandwiches, mussels, desserts, braised short rib, duck ragu and lemongrass roasted chicken.
Primary to the concept are healthy ingredients and preparation, such as air-frying.
“It’s still good food and makes you feel good,” Nelson said. “Food is medicine.”
Nelson, who has been a chef with several area restaurant groups, said he likes to try new concepts.