Sbraga's Jacksonville restaurant closes abruptly
"Sadly enough, I found out about this at the same time many of you did," he says.
Restaurateur Kevin Sbraga says he is as surprised as anyone that Sbraga & Co., his restaurant in Jacksonville, Fla., closed without warning on July 18.
He took to Instagram to, in his words, "take a moment to talk about today's events in the most candid way possible. It was not Sbraga Dining who closed the restaurant, locked employees out with no notice, and put up an 'announcement' on the door. Sadly enough, I found out about this at the same time many of you did. I have always cared deeply about my employees, and personally built the S&Co. team from the ground up. I'm heartbroken at how things have panned out. I'm sure there are questions on the specifics of the situation that I likely can't answer now, but please know none of this was under my control or my decision. I wanted to continue to thrive and grow in Jacksonville with the restaurant, and provide opportunities for my staff to do the same. I felt deeply connected to Jacksonville before the restaurant even opened, and not just because I have family here. Jacksonville is a beautiful, vibrant city with an unparalleled culinary community. I'm honored to have been a part of that for the time I was here, and ask for your patience as we sort through this closure. Sincerely, Kevin Sbraga."
In a phone conversation, Sbraga said vendors and employees would be made whole. Chef Justin Petruce was the only Philadelphia-rooted Sbraga employee still on site in Jacksonville.
A check of Duval County, Fla., online court records showed no related judgments or court filings.
The restaurant opened last November in Unity Plaza, an urban park vexed by what the Jacksonville Business Journal - which first reported the closing - called "low foot traffic."
A representative of the developer did not immediately return a phone call from the newspaper.
Sbraga, who closed Juniper Commons at Broad and South Streets last year after six months, is awaiting a mid-August opening of a branch of The Fat Ham at King of Prussia. Besides his flagship Sbraga at Broad and Pine Streets, Sbraga owns The Fat Ham at 3131 Walnut St.