A former gas station turned taproom on Jesse Jewell Parkway is about to become a pink-walled diner serving brunch, lunch and dinner. Caroline's All Day is targeting an October or November opening at 400 Jesse Jewell Pkwy in downtown Gainesville, taking over the space vacated when Standard Service shuttered at the end of May.
From Self-Pour Taproom to All-Day Comfort Food
The address has already lived a couple of lives. As reported by WhatNow, Caroline's All Day will replace Standard Service, the restaurant and taproom that opened in late spring 2022 with TVs for sports watching under Atlanta restaurateur Billy Streck and Pour Taproom founders Jon Kim and Ramon Ballester, offering 60 self-serve beverage taps before closing, according to the Gainesville Times. Before that, the building served as a straightforward gas station. Per the same Gainesville newspaper, the renovation into Caroline's All Day will bring signature pink paint to the site, a dramatic aesthetic shift from its service-station roots.
Caroline's All Day is being described as an extension of Caroline's on Main, the daytime brunch spot in Flowery Branch. The original location serves items like buttermilk pancakes and avocado toast, according to the Gainesville Times report on the restaurant's debut. The Gainesville expansion breaks from that daytime-only format: it will serve brunch, lunch and dinner, and it will include a private dining area for special events, WhatNow reports.
A Team Already Reshaping Flowery Branch's Dining Scene
Behind the project are chef Nick St. Clair, co-owner Roland Stanley and Gustavo Godinez Jr., who is also affiliated with Big Burritos. St. Clair first put down roots in Hall County, where he worked with Alison at fine-dining restaurant Antebellum, according to CanvasRebel Magazine. Stanley entered the local food scene by launching Cork It in Gainesville before working alongside St. Clair at Antebellum and eventually partnering on a growing roster of concepts, including multiple Cork It wine bars, Peyton's Pie Company pizzerias and The Stag chophouse, per the same magazine profile.
The trio's expansion has moved quickly, although the available coverage cited here does not detail every venture.
A Second Food Hall Taking Shape in Dacula
Stanley, St. Clair and Godinez are also involved in Communion Street Market, a food hall taking shape at Homestead at Hog Mountain in Dacula and expected to open at the end of September. The hall will house Peyton's Pie Company, Big Burritos, Smash Shack and Better Days cocktail bar, along with Asian street food concept Bun Bar, according to the Communion Street Market Facebook page.
Whistle Q is located on Main Street in Flowery Branch, Lakeside News notes. Gainesville's historic downtown square is also mentioned in connection with the city's dining scene, according to the City of Gainesville's official website. With Caroline's All Day joining the Flowery Branch team's roster of concepts, the team is betting that its brand recognition can carry over into Gainesville's growing commercial corridor.
