The former Red Lobster restaurant in the Regency area has been permitted for conversion into Gogi Korean BBQ.
The city issued a permit Feb. 28 for June Ye LLC of Clearwater to renovate the 8,000-square-foot restaurant at 416 Commerce Center Drive into the Asian barbecue concept at a project cost of $180,000.
E-Pro Design Solution is the designer.
Gogi Korean BBQ features at each table a grill for customers to prepare food.
Plans indicate a renovated bar area and interior and patio dining and a small private dining room. Each table has a grill.
Korean BBQ restaurants offer grills on the table along with scissors, tongs and sauce trays for the preparation and cooking.
The Regency Red Lobster building sold Sept. 4, 2024, for $3.7 million to St. Augustine-based CJC USA LLC, which is managed by Jing Xin Liu.
The building, on 1.8 acres, was constructed in 2003.
The state Department of Business & Professional Regulation approved public food service establishment plans for 416 USA Group Inc. to operate Gogi Korean BBQ at the address.
It approved 240 seats.
The approval had four conditions covering food washing areas, protection of displayed foods and other general provisos.
Jing Xin Liu is listed in state corporate records as vice president of 416 USA Group Inc.
State corporate records show that Liu also is the manager or member of several other LLCs, including Sunrise Center Group. It bought the former O’Charley’s in the Regency area at 410 Commerce Center Drive, next to the former Red Lobster, and opened Cajun Crab Juicy Seafood & Bar.
He also is the president of New Pacific Asian Bistro Inc., which operates the Pacific Asian Bistro at 159 Palencia Village Drive, Suite 111, in St. Augustine.
The Regency restaurant is one of three former Red Lobsters being converted into Asian concepts.
The city issued permits in January for Mikata Buffet to convert the location in Baymeadows and for Fushimi Grill & Modern Buffet at River City Marketplace.
The Red Lobster chain closed more than 80 restaurants, including the three in Jacksonville, in May and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Red Lobster announced Sept. 16 it was exiting Chapter 11 under the ownership of RL Investor Holdings LLC, part of Fortress Investment Group.
The remaining Red Lobster in operation in Northeast Florida is at 32 Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park.