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THE MATHIS REPORT
CookingDaily Record school turns Daily Record to takeout JACKSONVILLE
JACKSONVILLE
JAX Cooking Studio owner Terri Davlantes launches a new business model to keep revenue flowing.
Plans for AC Hotel at Town Center in review
Daily Record JACKSONVILLE
OTO Development of South Carolina proposes to build the 118-room property.
BY KATIE GARWOOD STAFF WRITER
KAREN BRUNE MATHIS EDITOR
With her Beach Boulevard location closed for classes, JAX Cooking Studio owner Terri Davlantes needed to find a new way to keep her business stirring. To-go orders seemed like the best bet. She had a kitchen, chefs and food. The rest of what she’d need – packaging, labels and menus – could be found in a quick trip to Restaurant Depot. In less than two weeks, Davlantes and her staff set up a takeout business, which so far has been “slow but steady.” The challenge is letting people know her cooking studio is a source of meals for their families. “It’s like creating a whole new business model within a two-week period,” she said. “And because we have such a small crew we didn’t have the time to develop those other revenue sources. So it’s given us an opportunity to stand back and say, what else could we be doing to bring in some revenue?” Davlantes introduced catering over Easter weekend and said it went “great.” Some of those who bought meals weren’t previous customers of the cooking studio and Davlantes said she hopefully generated new customers for when her cooking classes can resume. In addition to the holiday catering services, Davlantes said she’s considering
Special to the Daily Record
JAX Cooking Studio owner Terri Davlantes says business has been “slow but steady” after offering food for takeout.
KEEPING CLOSE – FROM A DISTANCE Since March 13, city event venues, stores, restaurants, malls, entertainment centers, churches and businesses shut down and laid off workers or sent them home to telecommute to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The Daily Record will report how local small business owners are dealing with the imposed social isolation.
While St. Johns Town Center is closed because of COVID-19, plans continue in review for a 118-room AC Hotels by Marriott on the Southside property. England-Thims & Miller Inc. is the civil engineer for the AC Hotel Jacksonville project, which it submitted April 7 for city civil plan review. OTO Development of Spartanburg, South Carolina, is the developer listed for the 72,000-square-foot hotel on 2.73 acres east of the proposed RH retail store. RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, and AC Hotels are part of a proposed fourth phase of the shopping center. St. Johns Town Center is at northwest Butler Boulevard and Interstate 295. The AC Hotels site, which is Parcel 3, is along Big Island Drive, east of the southern end of the mall anchored by J. Alexander’s and Tesla. Plans show the hotel with a pool and parking. In December, OTO Develop-
SEE DAVLANTES, PAGE 2
SEE MATHIS, PAGE 2
Mayo Clinic salary cuts, furloughs start April 28 Mayo Clinic announced April 10 it will be “taking necessary steps to reduce expenses” that include furloughs of some staff and salary reductions after April 28. Until then, employees will receive full pay and benefits. On March 17, Mayo Clinic said it would postpone elective care across its campuses. The clinic says that was the right decision, but “eliminated most of our revenue at the same time we are making critical investments to develop and expand testing, conduct research to help stop the pandemic, and realign our facilities and care teams to treat COVID-19 patients.”
VOLUME 107, NO. 105 • ONE SECTION