JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A new outdoor food hall and entertainment venue is set to open later this month in Jacksonville.
The Block Jax plans to hold its grand opening March 20, followed by a full opening weekend celebration March 20-22, according to founder and owner Daniel Moffatt.
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The location just off Gate Parkway in the Deerwood area features a 10,000 sq. ft. covered pavilion space with food vendors and a stage for live entertainment.
Moffatt said the project has been years in the making.
“We’ve been working on it for almost 3 and 1/2 years,” Moffatt said. “The idea in my head maybe an extra 6 months or a year on that... When I started I only had two kids and now we have four. So it’s been a good part of my life for the last few years.”
The Block Jax is being billed as the area’s first outdoor food hall, designed as a multi-use gathering space with food, drinks, and events. Moffatt said the goal is to create a place where families can relax and stay awhile — without feeling rushed.
“I want a place where people can feel like they can come out at any time with kids young kids,” Moffatt said. “If I go to a restaurant it’s like ‘We’ve got to get in.’ We’ve got to order right away. We have to eat as fast as we can because I know they’re not staying seated for more than 15 or 20 minutes. And I don’t want to just stick an iPad in front of them.”
The venue is expected to include:
- A stage for live music and entertainment
- A 30-foot-wide by 16-foot-tall LED wall for sports, movie nights and special events
- A covered open-air pavilion and turf gathering space
- A fully fenced kids park
- An on-site private dog park connected to Moffatt’s Kanine Social brand
- An upstairs 21+ space
Moffatt said featuring Jacksonville-area businesses was a priority, including local artists, musicians and restaurants.
“People have reached out to us from all over the place trying to bring concepts in from Charleston or Atlanta or other big cities, but I wanted to support something local,” he said. “I’m local, I live right down the road so it’s important to me to have local people influencing how this place operates and runs too”
Moffatt said the site will include eight food vendors, plus Southern Swells operating a mini-brewery on site and multiple bars. Vendors he mentioned include:
- The Bearded Piglet (second location for Bearded Pig)
- Darkside Tacos (first brick-and-mortar location)
- Hungry Owl
- Just Kitchen (Mediterranean concept) and Stacks (smash burger concept)
- Slingin Weiners (A hot dog concept run by The Block Jax team)
Moffatt said the venue has taken years to bring together, with help from contractors, architects, engineers, investors and supporters. With everything included, he estimated the overall investment is nearing $10 million.
The Block Jax grand opening is scheduled for March 20, with events planned through March 22. Moffatt said they’re also planning soft openings ahead of the grand opening weekend while they work out operational details.
The venue expects to operate Wednesday through Sunday, with flexibility for special events.
More information is available at theblockjax.com.