Downtown Jacksonville is set to welcome a new restaurant rooted in family, familiar recipes and a love of good food. Alijay’s Kitchen and Catering, from chef Celestia Mobley and her daughter, Jasmine Mobley, is preparing to open at 20 W. Adams Street, bringing seafood and soul food to a space that has been waiting for its next restaurant.
The mother-daughter team plans to open in November 2026, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. Jasmine will oversee the front of house, while chef Jeff Johnson will join the team in the kitchen.
For Celestia, the venture builds on decades of experience in Jacksonville’s restaurant industry. She previously spent 20 years as chef at Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro, helping grow the business from a small café into two larger restaurants. In 2017, she launched her own business, Celestia’s Coastal Cuisine, on Dunn Avenue, where she serves seafood and Southern-inspired dishes.
Alijay’s Kitchen and Catering will bring together several parts of her culinary background, with a menu expected to feature seafood, soul food and American classics. Diners can look forward to dishes such as seafood, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and other comfort-food favourites drawn from Celestia’s established recipes.
The new restaurant will also give the family more room to grow its catering operation. Celestia’s Coastal Cuisine already handles catering, but the existing restaurant has limited space for larger preparations. The new downtown location occupies a former culinary school kitchen, giving the team more room to prepare food for events alongside its restaurant service.
The 5,069-square-foot space at 20 W. Adams Street previously housed Jumpin’ Jax House of Food, which closed more than two years ago. The building dates to 1911 and has also served other retail and educational uses over the years.
The name Alijay combines the names of Celestia’s granddaughter, Aliyah, and her daughter, Jasmine, reflecting the family connection behind the business.
The restaurant plans to serve customers until 11 p.m. and may introduce live music and make use of the city’s sidewalk patio. Beer and wine are also planned, with the possibility of adding a bar later depending on how the restaurant develops.
For more information about Celestia’s existing restaurant and catering services, visit Celestia’s Coastal Cuisine.
