A new breakfast spot is taking shape in Jacksonville's Southpoint business district, and it comes with a pedigree that includes NFL clients, a Forbes feature, and a beloved food truck. City records show plans for Lemon Leaf Café were filed this month at 6620 Southpoint Blvd. S., the latest venture from Executive Chef John Cartel, whose given name is John Tutson.
According to WhatNow, Lemon Leaf Café is planned as a breakfast-focused concept, and Cartel has already shared what appears to be the café's official menu on Instagram. The lineup includes a classic breakfast plate, a breakfast bowl, omelets, pancakes, and homemade oatmeal alongside a yogurt bowl topped with granola and fresh fruit. Diners can also expect heartier options like a bacon, egg and cheese croissant, a turkey, egg and cheese sandwich, a chicken and avocado melt, and the standout Cajun-smothered shrimp and grits. The menu leans into indulgence too, with red velvet waffles, an Oreo waffle breakfast, and a key lime waffle breakfast, per the same report. Customers will reportedly be able to customize their plates with protein choices like turkey bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon, or avocado, plus sides such as sautéed vegetables.
A Chef Building on a Decade of Local Buzz
Cartel is no stranger to Jacksonville's food scene. He launched his culinary brand, Cartels Kitchen Seafood and More, in 2017, and the food truck went on to win the “Jax Best Food Truck” award in 2019, as detailed by Action News Jax. The truck became known for its signature crab boil wings, and in 2020 it was featured in Forbes as part of a national showcase of Black-owned restaurants.
Cartel's résumé extends well beyond the truck window. He previously worked as a private chef for nearly 20 Jacksonville Jaguars players from the team's 2017 AFC championship roster, including Myles Jack, Leonard Fournette, and Jalen Ramsey, the outlet reports. His platform today also includes catering and private chef services in addition to the food truck. When Cartel parked his truck in Jacksonville's Moncrief neighborhood in 2019, it reportedly served as a safe haven in an area affected by violence, while celebrities and Jacksonville rappers visited the truck.
From Sports Bars to a Sit-Down Café
Cartel's move toward a brick-and-mortar café follows his recent expansion into commercial kitchen operations. Early this year, he took over as culinary curator at 1st & Goal Sports Bar in Jacksonville's Arlington neighborhood, according to a report from News4JAX. The role is part of Cartel's work in Jacksonville's food scene, alongside the planned Lemon Leaf Café.
Cartel has also put time into community culinary education. In 2020, he partnered with the HAPCO Music Foundation to lead monthly virtual cooking classes centered on affordable, healthy Southern recipes and nutrition for Jacksonville families, teaching budget-friendly $20 family meals and diabetic-friendly cooking, per YouTube documentation of the sessions.
The Southpoint Address and What Comes Next
The planned café's address sits inside the Bankers Life Building, a multi-tenant commercial office property originally built in 1982, according to CommercialSearch. The more than 64,000-square-foot complex houses a mix of office tenants and professional suites. The building changed hands earlier this year, with commercial real estate brokerage SVR Commercial announcing the sale of the property in May.
Hoodline previously reported on the $14.7 million sale of the nearby 151,006-square-foot Butler Pointe office building near the I-95 and J. Turner Butler Boulevard interchange.
Lemon Leaf Café remains in the planning stages, and no opening date has been announced. Before it can welcome customers, the project still has steps to take. The September filing leaves the final opening date unknown.
