Mystery of 106 Marine Boulevard: Popular spot or simply a high turnover rate?

Many Jacksonville residents are familiar with 106 Marine Boulevard, the tiny little building next to the Center of Public Safety, where Subway was housed for more than a decade.

But why has it changed businesses six times in the last eight years?

"My opinion on why businesses don't last there, is the traffic, too difficult to get in and out of," said Jeff Frye, co-owner of North Star Seafood, 106 Marine Boulevard's last renter before the current tenant. "In the beginning, it showed good success, but into the summer, it slowed down as traffic got more extreme." 

More: Richlands Hardee's closing as popular North Carolina BBQ restaurant to take its place

As Marine Boulevard is one of Jacksonville's busiest roads, it makes sense that traffic could be a factor, though Subway was successful, perhaps in part to its brand name.

According to Jacksonville Planning and Inspections Director Ryan King, 106 Marine Blvd was constructed in 1988 per the Onslow County Tax Card. The building was home to Subway for years, at least prior to 2004, before it relocated to 600 N Marine Boulevard, Suite 100, in 2014.

"Subway was there for at least a decade and moved north about one to two miles," King said. "Why they moved, would be a question for the owner/operator to provide. I can tell you, the unit Subway is in today, was new when they moved to that location and has more interior dining area."

Since, King said several local restaurants followed the Subway, until it was converted to retail in 2021.

The Daily News reached out to the building's landlord, Ronnie Henderson, who didn't have further comment, but noted he does own and rent 26 buildings in Jacksonville.

More: The evolution of the Jacksonville Mall: Is it dying or thriving?

In 2014, a request was made to reopen the building as Rock a Taco, which made it to 2016, before leaving and making way for another taco joint, Shredd Shak. Shredd Shak closed in February of 2017 due to equipment instability and needed upgrades, according to a post from its Facebook page at the time.

Following the closure of Shredd Shak, a request was made to reopen as Fat Al's Dawg House, which also only lasted a couple of years, before a request to reopen as a Jacksonville location for Sneads Ferry's Napoli Cafe in 2019.

That's when North Star Seafood came along in 2021, following a request to change the building from restaurant to retail. However, it also didn't stay long.

"I had the opportunity to upsize to a larger facility so I could operate of a larger scale," Frye said. "We tried running both locations for four months and it started to become overwhelming. So, when the lease ran up, we let the Jacksonville location go."

Now, the building houses a smoke shop called Vape World.

Onslow County commissioner Mark Price said the building seems like an ideal location for a takeout restaurant with public safety, the courthouse and sheriff's office located there.

So, what's with the revolving door?

King said he and his staff speculate the small size of the building was a factor for many, as it also limited indoor seating. In addition, he said the opening of the bypass years ago could have limited traffic in that area.

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at mstarling@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Daily News: Jacksonville building changes hands six times in eight years. Why?