Ryan Kunsch, the owner of Sarbez! and a neighborhood bar on West King Street, is getting ready to flip the lights on at Alfred’s, a restaurant and small performance venue at 222 W. King St. in St. Augustine’s West City neighborhood. The concept pairs sourdough pizzas with pastas and salads, plus a steady mix of live music, comedy and movie nights. Kunsch says the goal is to build a true community hub, and if everything stays on track, Alfred’s is expected to open this spring.
"The West King area has such great energy," Kunsch told Jacksonville Today, adding that "there are many voids to be filled, and the people of the neighborhood deserve cool stuff." According to the outlet, Kunsch's team already has permits lined up for Alfred’s, which is named in honor of his grandfather, Alfred Kunsch. The story notes that the storefront has a long history, including a mid century venue, and Kunsch hopes the new spot will help stitch together the neighborhood’s changing commercial corridor.
Local roots and public art
Kunsch is hardly a newcomer to the city’s food and music scene. He launched Sarbez!, a grilled cheese and live music spot on Anastasia Island, and has been involved with public murals around town. As documented by Surf Station, Sarbez! on Anastasia Boulevard helped make Kunsch a recognizable local entrepreneur once it opened. That track record helps explain why he wants Alfred’s to draw in both longtime residents and newer arrivals.
Who’s cooking and who’s booking the shows
To run the kitchen, Kunsch has tapped Garrett Schiavone, the chef behind the former Real Peel Pizza truck, who will serve his sourdough pizzas alongside pastas and salads. On the entertainment side, local musician and organizer Chelsea Saddler will handle the lineup, programming music, stand up and movie nights for Alfred’s. The aim is a varied calendar that keeps the space buzzing beyond standard dinner hours, according to Jacksonville Today.
Space and what's next
The site, listed as 222 W. King St. in property records, sits on a parcel of under two acres with a roughly 3,570 square foot storefront, a footprint that can support a combined dining and performance layout. Property details appear on commercial listing platforms such as LoopNet. If construction and permitting move forward without major delays, the team plans to announce an opening date and the first wave of programming through the project’s social channels.
Developers and neighbors will be watching to see whether Alfred’s can help extend West King’s energy past closing time for its daytime cafes and vintage shops. For now, the plan marks another step in West City’s slow commercial revival, and a future gathering place for the neighborhood once the doors finally open.
