Last meal: Tuesday marks final day for two Jacksonville dining institutions
Had it been any other month, Jacksonville diners would have two or three more days to get one last meal at one or both of two landmark restaurants before they close the doors for good.
But this is February. And Tuesday marks the end of incredible runs for Cotten's Bar-B-Que and Beach Road Fish & Chicken Dinners, two old-school, mom-and-pop restaurants – one in the heart of Arlington, the other in St. Nicholas – that have drawn families to their dining rooms for generations.
Located at 2048 Rogero Road, Cotten's Bar-B-Que is closing after 36 years in business. The restaurant, owned by Fred Jr. and Yvonne Cotten, is known for its pit-smoked ribs, beef, pork, chicken and turkey and classic BBQ sides.
The couple, ages 80 and 77, plan to retire, Yvonne Cotten recently told the Times-Union.
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But the decision wasn’t an easy one.
"It's very hard to leave something that you've devoted your life to for so many years," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. "I'm very happy to be retiring. I'm not a crybaby but I'm telling you it's ridiculous how emotional the [upcoming] separation is for me."
"I'm going to work in my garden. My husband's going to fly model airplanes. … I'm going to be able to go to concerts and the symphony on a Friday night or a Wednesday night or any night that I want. All the shows and events that we've missed in 36 years because we've had to be here," she said of their retirement plans.
Following the restaurant’s closure, the Cottens plan to sell the property. But they’re not identifying the potential buyer or the buyer’s future plans for the restaurant because details of the sale haven't been finalized, she said earlier this month.
Four miles away, Tuesday marks the end of more than 80 years of classic chicken dinners being served at 4132 Atlantic Blvd., the home of Beach Road Chicken Dinners from 1939 to 2019 and then Beach Road Fish & Chicken Dinners.
Owner Nathan Stuart announced the pending closing earlier this month in a social media post.
“Unfortunately we will be unable to lease our building after the sale of Beach Road Fish House & Chicken Dinners property” on February 28, he wrote. "We are identifying locations for relocation in the meantime.”
So while the concept could be revived elsewhere, the restaurant, as most know it, will serve its last classic fried chicken dinner on Tuesday.
Soon after, construction is set to begin on a 270-unit luxury apartment complex planned for the 1.43-acre St. Nicholas restaurant site and neighboring parcels.
Together, the two restaurants represent nearly 120 years of Sunday family dinners, weekday lunches, Saturday nights out with friends and more.
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Times-Union writer Teresa Stepzinski contributed to this report.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville's Beach Road Chicken Dinners, Cotten's Bar-B-Que closing
