Daily Record Financial News &
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Vol. 102, No. 138 • Two Sections
35¢ www.jaxdailyrecord.com
Brewery seeking taxpayer incentives
From food truck to Downtown restaurant
Anheuser-Busch wants $15M to add 75 jobs
Super Food & Brew co-owner Dale Stoudt, left, and Richie Haugk, co-owner and executive chef, at the restaurant at 11 E. Forsyth St.
Photos by Max Marbut
By David Chapman Staff Writer
Super Food & Brew open at 11 E. Forsyth St.
By Max Marbut Staff Writer Pork belly sandwiches, pretzelwich, tuna poke bowl and fried mac & cheese balls are some of the menu items that made the transition from Super Food Truck to Super Food & Brew, Downtown’s new restaurant at 11 E. Forsyth St. The brick-and-mortar version is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the space formerly occupied by Starbucks. As soon as the doors opened, people started lining up to order food and sample the more than 20 craft beers on the menu. Co-owner Dale Stoudt attributed the
immediate popularity to months of steadily building a following for the food truck that inspired the 76-seat restaurant and beer and wine bar that opened last week. “We had an advantage because the branding was already established,” he said. “We were really busy. I don’t think we had an empty seat for two hours during lunch on Friday.” Stoudt said opening the traditional restaurant creates new opportunities for the Super Food movement. The weekday lunch business won’t be so dependent on weather, for example, and having a fully equipped kitchen will lead to more catering business and private
functions. “Some days on a food truck are great and some days aren’t. I always looked at the truck more as marketing for weekend events,” he said. In addition to expanding the menu and offering beer and wine, the future of Super Food & Brew includes introduction next week of a 4-8 p.m. happy hour with a special menu of small plates and fresh oysters on the half shell. Also on the future agenda is a retail grocery that will feature artisan products and possibly delivery, but there’s no timetable on that addition. Food truck... Continued on Page A-2
Anheuser-Busch Cos. is proposing a $170 million expansion that would bring aboard 75 additional full-time jobs in exchange for close to $15 million in taxpayer dollars. As part of the deal, the company, through Metal Container Corp., would build a 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and install new equipment at one of its two Jacksonville locations by the end of 2017. The $170 million comprises $40 million in real estate improvements and the remaining $130 million in equipment. The city would provide a $12 million Recapture Enhanced Value grant, equal to 75 percent of the increase in property taxes generated from the development. It’s paid out over 12 years. Also, the city would provide $45,000 through its 20 percent share of a Qualified Target Industry grant. The state would pay $180,000, or the remaining 80 percent. Additionally, the state would provide $2.4 million through the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund and another $225,000 through a Quick Response Training grant. Jacksonville is competing with sites in two other Southeastern states, “both have which made aggressive offers,” according to the project summary. The 75 new jobs the company would create would be in the fields of administration, skilled technical positions and electricians and engineers. They would have an average salary of $75,000 and be created by the end of 2016. Anheuser-Busch employs more than 700 people in Jacksonville between its Northside brewery and Westside manufacturing plant, according to the summary. The deal would support those facilities, too. Legislation for the deal was filed Tuesday and introduced to City Council. dchapman@jaxdailyrecord.com @writerchapman (904) 356-2466
Water taxi could get $240,000 in city program Proposal would match money Lakeshore Marine is able to raise on its own
By David Chapman Staff Writer Mayor Alvin Brown is throwing the water taxi a financial life preserver. A bill introduced Tuesday to City Council has the city contributing $240,000 over the next two years as part of a public-private partnership with the service’s operators, Lakeshore Marine.
Public
For the company to receive quarterly disbursements, it must raise money in the private sector. The city will match what is raised up to $240,000. The public support is something Heather Surface, Lakeshore Marine partner, said is important in order to receive help from the private sector. The $240,000 over the two years would offset revenue lost
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due to low ridership numbers that have plagued the water taxi since Lakeshore Marine took over the service in August. In the first eight months, there has been a 54 percent dip in ridership compared to 2012, the last time data was provided by the former service provider. Surface said the company has come to an agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars and The
Florida Times-Union that would have each become “founding partners” and provide $30,000 a year in funds or in-kind services. The city’s funding would help market the service as part of the “On Board Jax!” campaign seeking to promote the water taxis and their benefit to Downtown. David DeCamp, Brown’s spokesman, said the mayor believes the service is “an essen-
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tial part” of reactivating Downtown and is a valuable public service. The money would come from the city’s general fund. The support is separate from the long-term agreement Lakeshore is close to signing with the city. The company won a request for proposals for a five-year operator agreement, but has to show proof Taxi... Continued on Page A-3
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