AB Kitchen, the fusion-minded coastal restaurant anchoring a historic corner of Beaches Town Center, will close for good on Nov. 16. Owners Ben and Liza Groshell say they're not renewing the lease at 299 Atlantic Blvd. as their company shifts focus to other ventures, bringing an end to the restaurant's run at one of Atlantic Beach's most recognizable dining corners.
The closure was announced Monday, according to News4Jax, which reported that the Groshells chose not to renew the lease as Southern Table Hospitality turns its attention to new projects. The station described the closure as the end of five years in business. A separate account from the Florida Times-Union had reported that AB Kitchen opened on Jan. 19, 2023, a timeline that doesn't neatly square with a five-year run; neither figure has been reconciled publicly.
Regular Menu Through the Final Night
Diners hoping for one more visit have a few weeks left. The restaurant will remain open through Nov. 16, serving its regular menu, per the same News4Jax report. There's no indication of special closing events or changes to service in the meantime, just the restaurant continuing to operate as it has.
AB Kitchen sits in the space formerly used by the original MShack, according to the Times-Union's earlier coverage of the restaurant's 2023 opening. The address puts it at the heart of Beaches Town Center, the oceanfront restaurant and retail district that draws steady foot traffic from beachgoers and locals alike.
A Family Operation Built on Surf and Fusion
AB Kitchen has always been something of a family affair. Chef Benjamin Groshell set up his sons, Jacob and Nick Groshell, to run the restaurant as part of his company Southern Table Hospitality's latest venture at the time, the Times-Union reported in its opening-day coverage. Nick Groshell, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, served as executive chef, while Jacob Groshell, who holds a business degree, managed the restaurant day to day.
The concept leaned into fusion-style cuisine built around a healthy, active lifestyle, something the paper noted was favored by surfers like the Groshell brothers themselves. AB Kitchen's own website describes the food as a modern take on coastal dining, with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and curated dishes, and frames the overall dining experience as inspired by Atlantic Beach's coastal lifestyle. The restaurant served lunch and dinner throughout its run.
Staff Moving On to Sister Restaurants
The AB Kitchen team won't be out of work when the doors close. Staff will continue working at the company's other restaurants, News4Jax reported, as Southern Table Hospitality redirects resources toward new projects. The hospitality group's portfolio includes North Beach Fish Camp, Julington Creek Fish Camp, Palm Valley Fish Camp, St. Augustine Fish Camp, Dockside Seafood Restaurant, Marker 32, Valley Smoke and Billy Jacks, giving departing employees several places to land within the same company.
No details have emerged yet about what, if anything, might take over the Atlantic Beach space once AB Kitchen's lease runs out. For now, the focus for owners and regulars alike is the stretch of weeks remaining before Nov. 16, when one more chapter at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard closes.
