The founders behind The District SPR are planning to open another dining establishment near 2030 Walnut St. in Springfield, converting a single-family structure into what's described as a 913-square-foot fine dining restaurant with 24 outdoor seats. The one-story building sits in an area zoned light industrial, and the planned restaurant would be near the partners' existing Walnut Street restaurant.
Jorge Gonzalez, one of the business partners in the project, said the new spot is meant to feel distinct. According to Jacksonville Daily Record, the group plans to convert the single-family structure at 2030 Walnut St. into a restaurant, per city project documents, and while it will be accessible from The District SPR property, it will be marketed as its own space, Gonzalez said.
Speakeasy Vibes, Still-Undecided Hours
Gonzalez described the planned space as a speakeasy-style restaurant, probably open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Still, he was careful to note that the opening schedule remains undecided, and the same report notes that details are still being worked out, including when exactly the doors would open.
An existing parking lot nearby will be available for customers of the new restaurant, Gonzalez said, which should ease some of the logistical pressure on a corner of Springfield that's grown busier as more restaurants and bars have moved in around Walnut Street.
Building On The District SPR's Foundation
The planned restaurant building neighbors The District SPR at 2026 Walnut St., the original restaurant Felicia D. Luke, Jorge Gonzalez, James Broy and Sharon Ashley McCaskey launched in historic Springfield in September 2020, according to jacksonville.com. The District SPR specializes in upscale New American cuisine, per the restaurant's own website, with a menu described as New American cuisine with Southern and global influences.
This wouldn't be the first time the partners have expanded their footprint. The same team previously opened Dorothy's Downtown, an upscale Southern and Creole-themed restaurant that took over the former Burrito Gallery space at 21 E. Adams St., and jacksonville.com's reporting described it as the second upscale restaurant concept in Jacksonville from the partners behind The District SPR, with roughly 120 seats planned there. That project also drew a $173,055 incentive package approved by the Downtown Investment Authority board, per a separate Jacksonville Daily Record report on the DIA's approvals for two Downtown restaurants, with Felicia Luke and Jorge Gonzalez listed as owners/operators of The Hidden District LLC.
The Springfield project is considerably smaller in scale than the Downtown Dorothy's buildout, fitting its fine dining concept into under 1,000 square feet with a focus on outdoor seating rather than a large dining room. For now, the specifics beyond the building's size, seating count and zoning designation remain in flux as the partners finalize their plans for the Walnut Street space.
