Two weeks after site-clearing was approved and about a month after the land was bought, the city issued the construction permit Feb. 24 for the first Olive Garden Italian Kitchen in Jacksonville in more than 15 years.
Venture Construction Co. is the contractor for the $2.4 million project. The 7,847-square-foot restaurant is being built at 4995 Sweetgrass Place in Glen Kernan Park at northwest Butler and Hodges boulevards.
Darden Restaurants Inc. landed a site-clearing permit Feb. 12 from the city to clear almost 2 acres at a project cost of $20,000.
GMRI Inc. a subsidiary of Orlando-based Darden Restaurants Inc., bought the site through Olive Garden Holdings Inc. It paid $2.7 million on Jan. 31 for three lots totaling 1.83 acres for the restaurant.
Joyce Development Group of Jacksonville sold the property through Glen Kernan Park LLC.
According to its JEA service availability request, the restaurant will seat 237 customers. Plans show five dining rooms, a bar and a to-go area.
Glen Kernan Park is a retail, hotel, commercial and residential development at northwest Butler and Hodges boulevards.
Darden operates Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, LongHorn Steakhouse, Yard House, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille and Eddie V’s. Most of those brands operate in Northeast Florida.
Olive Garden is planned next to a seven-story, 174-room Embassy Suites hotel in Glen Kernan Park.
It would be the fifth Olive Garden restaurant in the area. Locations in Regency, Argyle and Avenues were built in 1990-91 and the fourth was built in 2009 in River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.
The Regency location was rebuilt in 2015 after a fire.
Olive Garden makes up 44% of Darden’s total sales and 45% of its restaurant locations. Its May Securities and Exchange Commission filing showed Darden having 2,031 restaurants.