Local Chef Scott Schwartz to open Jacksonville restaurant

Media Release
Southeast Group
December 22, 2014 1:55 p.m.

Jacksonville, Florida – SouthEast Group announced today the addition of a new restaurant and bar named “The Bullbriar”, to be located in the historic Florida National Bank building, more commonly known as the Marble Bank.

Schwartz, who also owns 29 South Restaurant in historic Fernandina Beach, Florida, signed a lease for the entire building and plans to begin interior design exercises immediately. Initial plans for the restaurant feature a “southern-sophisticated” theme and call for 175 seats and a large bar within the space. Along with the restaurant on the first floor and mezzanine, Schwartz has an option to have private dining rooms and wine cellars in the building’s basement vaults.

“The Bullbriar” will be the perfect complement to what will be a truly unique hotel,” said developer Steve Atkins, Principal and Managing Director of SouthEast Group. “Scott is one of the region’s top chefs and we couldn’t be more pleased with the opportunity to have his culinary genius featured as part of the experience at the Trio. The Marble Bank building is without a doubt the most incredible venue anywhere in Jacksonville and now has all the making of the city’s best restaurant.”

Schwartz is a member of the prestigious Les Toques Blanches originated in Paris, France and currently serves as Culinary Chairman on the International Advisory Board for the Florida WineFest. He has garnered multiple accolades, including being named “Best Chef Jacksonville” by Folio magazine and awarded Florida Trend magazine’s coveted “Golden Spoon” every year since 2009. In 2011, his Coffee and Doughnuts dessert was given the title of one of the “South’s 50 Best Dishes” in Garden and Gun magazine. Along with his current restaurant, Schwartz is also well known as the co-founder of The Legend Series, a quarterly pop-up event held as a dining series based in Jacksonville, Florida showcasing the best of the area’s culinary, visual and performing arts.

SouthEast is a commercial real estate development firm based in Jacksonville, Florida, providing a full complement of development services, capital managment and general contracting performance across the southeast region of the United States. The company specializes in integrated design-build services, new constgruction, preservation and development consultation programming, with a focus on sustainable construction and redevelopment.

SouthEast is licensed for operations as a Certified General Contractor in the states of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North and South Carolina and has been qualified for operations in Tennessee and Kentucky.