The Downtown Investment Authority board voted unanimously Aug. 20 in favor of a $135,000 grant for an Italian restaurant on the Southbank.
The nine-member board approved the grant for Tavola San Marco LLC, owned by Carl and Lindie Garrett. The pair plans to open Tavola Trattoria at 1037 Hendricks Ave.
Tavola Trattoria plans to renovate its 4,500-square-foot building at an estimated cost of $600,000.
The grant comes from the DIA’s Core Retail Enhancement Program. It will be structured as a forgivable, 0% interest grant that will amortize at 33.33% each year following closing for three years, with the full remaining balance forgiven at the end of the third year, so long as the restaurant remains in business.
The restaurant would be the 11th owned by the Garretts, who started their restaurant group in Bentonville, Arkansas, the home of Walmart’s headquarters. The Garretts manage nine restaurants in Bentonville, with another on the way, according to the DIA staff report.
Carl Garrett attended Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Jacksonville Beach and took classes at Florida State College at Jacksonville.
According to the staff report, Tavola Trattoria expects to hire 25 to 40 staff members, both part- and full-time, to work in the front and back of the restaurant.
The Hendricks Avenue location was last occupied by Reddi-Arts and has been vacant since 2021. After its purchase in 2021, it was divided into four separate retail buildings. The restaurant will be joined by the Salon on the Southbank in the location, which also received a grant from the DIA on Aug. 20.
Tavola Trattoria will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, serving brunch, lunch and dinner. The full 4,500-square-foot renovation would be for the dining room, which includes an open kitchen, a large display pizza oven and a cocktail bar with seating.
According to the staff report, the restaurant will target young professionals, hotel visitors, Downtown residents, weekend diners and an upper-scale business lunch crowd. Trattorias are typically casual, family-owned Italian restaurants with homestyle cooking.
Dining and Cooking