A building that has fed Avondale residents for roughly a century — first as a grocery store, later as a beloved neighborhood pizzeria — is about to become one of Jacksonville's most ambitious sushi rooms. Boathouse Avondale, the latest concept from restaurateurs Nathan Stuart and Margo Klar, is set to open around Thanksgiving at 3951 St. Johns Ave., bringing a downstairs sushi bar and upstairs kitchen to a corridor that has seen no shortage of turnover this year.
The plan, first detailed by Jacksonville Daily Record, is for a new restaurant at 3951 St. Johns Ave. Stuart and Klar, who are married and already own eight restaurants across Northeast Florida, will lead the effort, according to the same report.
The 3951 St. Johns Ave. property is the site of the planned restaurant.
Ale Pie House Moves to Orange Park
For nearly a decade, the building was home to Ale Pie House, the neighborhood pizzeria owned by Mario Kocibelli. Its lease had run its course, and the shop planned to reopen at 1580 Wells Road in Orange Park in mid-May, maintaining its same menu and hours at the new location, according to WhatNow. Hoodline previously reported on the pizzeria's exit.
The former Ale Pie House space is slated to become Boathouse Avondale.
The Boathouse Brand
The Boathouse brand also has a Ponte Vedra Beach location.
The Boathouse brand features sushi and seafood.
Other Restaurant Projects
Stuart grew up in Jacksonville Beach as part of a multi-generational commercial fishing family — his grandfather founded the Intracoastal Fisheries market, and his father runs Seafood Kitchen in Atlantic Beach, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal.
In an August 2025 report, the St. Johns County Citizen said a Grouper Shack in Jacksonville Beach was aiming to open Dec. 1, 2025, at the former Bearded Pig building at 1700 3rd St. S. Most menu items were priced at $20 or less.
Boathouse Avondale's Opening
Against that backdrop, Boathouse Avondale represents a bet that a century-old building — one that has already survived a shift from grocery store to pizzeria — can find new life as a destination sushi bar. With a Thanksgiving-timed opening on the horizon, Avondale diners will soon find out whether Stuart's promise of Jacksonville's best sushi holds up just half a mile from the neighborhood's commercial core.
