The Candy Apple Café & Cocktails at Sweet Pete’s Candy in downtown Jacksonville at Hemming Park has permanently closed.
The owners made the announcement Thursday on Facebook.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the closing of The Candy Apple Cafe & Cocktails, which contributed to the growing and thriving restaurant community in Downtown Jacksonville,” the company wrote.
The news comes after Sweet Pete’s, which rents out the space to The Candy Apple Café, was forced to temporarily close the building for emergency maintenance.
“Unfortunately, we are simply unable to overcome the revenue losses we have incurred as a result of the prolonged closure of the building. We are proud of what we built: the food, the drinks, the memories, and especially the team of loyal employees and guests who made it all possible,” the Candy Apple Café wrote.
WJCT News spoke with Sweet Pete’s Marketing Director Branden Stanley Thursday afternoon. She confirmed Sweet Pete’s still plans to reopen following the renovation on or about October 1.
She couldn’t say exactly how the closed restaurant space would be utilized going forward but did stress that the Candy Apple Café was separately owned and rented the restaurant space.
Sweet Pete’s Candy closed for what it calls “emergency maintenance” on August 10. It originally planned to reopen by August 18 but found additional issues with the 115-year-old building.
Sweet Pete’s co-owner Allison Behringer told our Jacksonville Daily Record news partner earlier this week that the third-floor insulation had to be removed and replaced. The ventilation system also needed extensive repairs. There also are plans to paint the building’s exterior.
Behringer said that even with the work being done, the roof will need to be replaced soon.
As for the closing of the Candy Apple Café, the owners wrote: “Opening and operating such a unique, out-of-the-box restaurant in the heart of our city’s urban core — and growing it to be a destination that was loved by people of all ages — was an incredible experience, and one we will always cherish.”
Bill Bortzfield can be reached at bbortzfield@wjct.org, 904-358-6349 or on Twitter at @BortzInJax.
