Two restaurateurs known for some of the area’s best restaurants are working on a new concept near the Trout Creek Bridge in St. Johns County.
Liza and Ben Groshell are behind restaurants such as Marker 32, Fish Camps, Dockside Seafood, and Valley Smoke. The couple opened their first restaurant in 1992 and expanded across the state with various restaurants, including a new concept called Billy Jacks in the former home of Barz Bar & Package at 9560 Heckscher Drive, opening early next year. Now, The Groshells are working on a new Southern-inspired restaurant with venue space for weddings and private parties, according to Jacksonville Daily Record.
Both Billy Jacks and this new yet-to-be-named concept will draw inspiration from Ben’s passion for hunting and will have a woodsy feel. Customers can expect various types of unique meat, such as venison and quail. Permitting and construction is expected to take about 12 to 18 months, so this concept will likely open sometime in 2025. When a new restaurant opens, the owners will be in the kitchen to ensure staff members understand recipes and the company’s hospitality principles.
“Openings are all hands on deck, and at an opening, I’ll be back there,” Ben Groshell tells Jacksonville Daily Record. “I’m working and showing by example. It might be six months, could be eight months, could be more until things get settled in. Once they settle in, when everybody knows what to expect, and we’re all on the same page, I’m going to allow them to do their thing.”
