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Melissa Brown came to raise a Mimosa Sunday as a toast to the family milestones celebrated over the years over brunch at River City Brewing Co.
Brown brought her 15-year-old daughter, Ariyah Cousin, to the last brunch at the historic Southbank restaurant that is closing its doors for good to make way for redevelopment.
“I’m planning to say goodbye to Mimosa. I can’t believe River City Brewing is closing,” Brown said.
After 27 years, the restaurant at 835 Museum Circle, near the Museum of Science and History, will be closed, demolished and replaced by a project that The Jacksonville City Council recently backed for which a new 325-unit apartment building is to be built in its place.
The planned development by the Related Group also includes: a new restaurant, but the plans show it won’t be in River City’s footprint and its excellent water views.
Though outdated and weathered, River City Brewing had many fond memories for residents and visitors alike.
Brown and Ariyah had no reservations but were lucky enough to be seated within about 15 minutes of arriving when the restaurant opened its doors at 10:30am
“I used to come here for brunch probably twice a month when I was pregnant with her,” Brown said, giving Ariyah a quick hug. “I came with my sister. And once I had her, we kind of made it a tradition and got together for brunch at least once a month.”
Brown also said the family held her mother’s 50th birthday party at River City Brewing.
More recently, the last time Brown was at the restaurant, it was a celebration for one of her students who was graduating.
“When I heard this morning that they were closing today, I was like, ‘Oh my god, Ariyah, get up, we need to have brunch here one last time,’” she said.
The food, she said, was excellent. From three-egg omelets to biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, sandwiches and salads. It was all good, and the hospitality too.
“I like everything at brunch,” Brown said. “To me, they have the best brunch in town. Before we had many of the newer restaurants here in town, River City was the place to go for brunch.”
Farewell: Jacksonville restaurant mainstay River City Brewing Co. closes sunday
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Others without brunch reservations were less lucky. At least a dozen left within the first hour of being told by a restaurant hostess that no tables would be available before 2:30pm for the end of brunch service.
Austin Jordan and Jemima Yuma were among those unable to enter.
“Looks like Jacksonville is saying goodbye to RBC,” said Jordan, who noted they were disappointed they couldn’t have one last brunch there.
“We came here for the first time a few weeks ago and it was really fun, a really good experience,” said Jordan. “We were hoping to say goodbye to it.”
Yuma said her family has been at the restaurant in the years before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They were always excited about brunch. But my first time was a few weeks ago,” she said.
Jordan said he hopes there will be more riverside dining options in the future.
“I don’t know where we’re going for brunch now,” he said.
Several customers said they were against the redevelopment project.
Downtown doesn’t need more apartments, it needs good restaurants like River City Brewing Co. in order to revive the area and attract tourists, a husband and wife who refused to give their names but said they had been customers for a long time.
Later, the restaurant held a farewell party, “River Relapse”,with music and dance. The final festivities were planned with as many as 15 DJs playing disco, funk, techno and house music until 11pm.
Micah Sutherland was one of about 100 people who helped kick-off the party on the outside terrace overlooking the river during the first hour of the meeting.
“I’ve never eaten in the restaurant, but I’ve been here before for drinks. It’s a good place,” he said. “I’m sorry it’s closing. There should be more restaurants and nightclubs, not apartments, along the riverbank.”
The establishment was also a favorite place to eat for city leaders, rulers and businessmen. Until his death in January, the late former Mayor Jake Godbold had a special table set up for him when he went there for lunch.
More:Jacksonville Says Goodbye to Late Mayor Jake Godbold
River City Brewing Co. opened in November 1993 on the site of the twice-failed Harbormasters restaurant. The city took over the property in 1992 after Harbormasters failed to pay a $2.9 million city-backed federal loan.
In 1996, owners Eugene Van Note and Anthony Candelino took over the restaurant. Two years later, they bought it and the city’s adjacent marina for about $2 million under a 99-year lease for the land.
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