JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A successful local restaurant doesn’t expand by accident — and Ember and Iron’s owners say their next moves are about more than just adding seats.
On the latest episode of “This Week in Jacksonville: Business Edition,” host Kent Justice spoke with Chef Michael Cooney and Brittany Cooney about their plans for a flagship-style location in historic downtown St. Augustine and a future restaurant in Jacksonville’s Seven Pines development.
Brittany Cooney said St. Augustine offered something rare: a chance to win locals and visitors at the same time.
PREVIOUS EPISODE | Jacksonville Venture Competition returns Aug. 19 - Here’s what judges are looking for
“I think St. Augustine is so unique in what it offers, right? So you could say that it’s hyper-local, but you can also say the tourism, so which one is it?” she said. “We went into St. Augustine knowing that we could feed the local community… but we could also feed people from out of town and really get our name out there.”
For Chef Michael Cooney, the location is personal — and it fits what many diners want when they visit the Ancient City.
“I grew up going to St. Augustine… walking those historic streets, going to St. George with my family, making memories there,” he said. “Getting away from those chain restaurants… we’re just really excited to get in there and be able to showcase our food.”
As they plan for growth, the couple said consistency comes from culture and training — not just recipes.
“It takes… choosing our team very wisely… and then the amount of effort that we put into training them and building the culture,” Chef Cooney said. “We wanted to create an experience where our restaurants were an extension of our home… You come in, we take care of you.”
Brittany Cooney added that kind of hospitality requires owners to be present.
“You have to be, as the business owners, you have be present and you have to be the best role model for that,” she said. “Are the owners present? Are they there? … We do. We listen.”
The discussion also touched on staffing — an issue they say never really goes away in the restaurant business.
“I think it’s one of those big challenges… the age old challenge,” Chef Cooney said, adding that he’s learned the hard way it’s better to be short-staffed than hire the wrong people.
And while running restaurants as a married couple can blur the lines between work and home, they say the partnership makes them stronger.
“The restaurant industry is so tough,” Brittany Cooney said. “But it makes us that much stronger together.”