Another restaurant at the Jacksonville Landing shuts down

Another restaurant has closed down at the Jacksonville Landing amid a bitter battle between the downtown landmark and the city.

Cinco de Mayo is the second restaurant to shut its doors there this month.

The Mexican restaurant’s windows are painted black and there’s a “restaurant space for lease” sign in the window.

A manager at Cinco de Mayo’s second location in East Arlington told Action News Jax there weren’t enough customers at the Landing to pay the bills there.

The restaurant was located next door to Chicago Pizza, where there was a mass shooting during a gaming tournament in August.

Benny’s Steak & Seafood closed earlier this month.

“It makes you sad. There’s just nobody there,” said Arathi Mahadeviah, who walked through the Jacksonville Landing on Tuesday.

Mahadeviah said she wasn’t surprised to hear another restaurant closed.

“We just walked through and, even in the restaurants, there’s not a single customer there,” she said.

Action News Jax reported on Friday the city rejected the annual rent payment from Sleiman Enterprises, which owns the buildings and leases the land from the city.

Action News Jax called Sleiman Enterprises twice, asking if the company is making changes to attract new business, and how long it intends to fight with the city as businesses shut down left and right.
No one responded to our calls.

In May 2018, the city terminated the company’s lease at the Jacksonville Landing.

In June, the city sent Sleiman Enterprises an eviction notice.

Later that month, the city released a rendering showing how it would turn the Landing into a park if it takes control of the property.

Action News Jax reached out to the city for comment on the future of the Landing; a spokesperson said they can’t comment when there’s an open lawsuit.

Cox Media Group