Scarlett O'Hara's Closing Their Doors in St. Augustine

[AuggieDosta]

I know some of you have spent time there and some were arrested there.

Good times.

Story: 'We really did give a damn' | Scalett O'Hara's closes in St. Augustine after over 50 year run, Dos Gatos also closes

From their Book of Faces...

 

[soflagator]

Sad news. Not sure if I ever went inside as I was a kid when I hung out in SA a lot. But that block won’t look the same without it. The ultimate effect of the last 2 years will continue to ripple through places and kill a ton of history. Hate it. Meanwhile I’m sure places like the Salt Life restaurant are doing great. Unreal.

 

[BMF]

Great place in St. A.
Funny story from sometime in the early 90's. I went there w/ 3 other buddies from Jax Beach (we were all working beach patrol and drove down there on a Saturday evening after we got off the beach). We probably had a case of beer for the drive down, then hit St. George Street cigar shop - my buddy says, "Give us four of the fattest, most obnoxious See-Gars you have!" We take them over to Scarlett's and get a table inside next to a window and there's a nice family sitting next to us. We fire up the cigars and start bellowing smoke all over the place - the whole room filled up - and the lady at the table hacks/gags (making a near vomit/about to vomit sound), we all look at her and start rolling......within 3 minutes we got tossed out. And that was within 20 minutes of being in town!

 

[AuggieDosta]

Sad news. Not sure if I ever went inside as I was a kid when I hung out in SA a lot. But that block won’t look the same without it. The ultimate effect of the last 2 years will continue to ripple through places and kill a ton of history. Hate it. Meanwhile I’m sure places like the Salt Life restaurant are doing great. Unreal.

The bolded is true but I don't see how the last two years are affecting Scarlett O'Hara's in regard to their statement...


The rising cost and supply chain issues are real but, still, they're usually packed and so is St. Augustine so their points #2 (lingering affect) and #3 (guest's tastes) make no sense to me.

Me personally, I believe another company has already purchased the property so perhaps this has more to do with a big payday and opportunity to get out and enjoy retirement (of which they have that right and I don't blame them) then what they put in their manifesto.

 

[soflagator]

The bolded is true but I don't see how the last two years are affecting Scarlett O'Hara's in regard to their statement...
View attachment 45438

The rising cost and supply chain issues are real but, still, they're usually packed and so is St. Augustine so their points #2 (lingering affect) and #3 (guest's tastes) make no sense to me.

Me personally, I believe another company has already purchased the property so perhaps this has more to do with a big payday and opportunity to get out and enjoy retirement (of which they have that right and I don't blame them) then what they put in their manifesto.

Possible. It’s just been my experience that restaurants operate on such a slim margin to begin with, one could even weather the initial Covid storm, and appear to be on solid footing, but still be recovering and digging themselves out. That would be my guess.

 

[gatorev12]

Possible. It’s just been my experience that restaurants operate on such a slim margin to begin with, one could even weather the initial Covid storm, and appear to be on solid footing, but still be recovering and digging themselves out. That would be my guess.

I definitely hear ya on all that--but I go to St Augustine pretty frequently and this place never really lacked for patrons from what I saw.

Dos Gatos next door wasn't as surprising by comparison since that place was hit or miss (too small to really compete with Prohibition for late-night drinks; and not as conveniently located as River & Fort or Ice Plant for the more upscale crowd either).

Sad to see both go though.

 

[AuggieDosta]

Possible. It’s just been my experience that restaurants operate on such a slim margin to begin with, one could even weather the initial Covid storm, and appear to be on solid footing, but still be recovering and digging themselves out. That would be my guess.

Good points but I would imagine the house for SAs has been paid off so their margins would be fine. Total guess on my part though.

 

[MJMGator]

Got liqoured up many a time there. A St. Augustine institution. RIP Scarlett.

 

[Detroitgator]

The bolded is true but I don't see how the last two years are affecting Scarlett O'Hara's in regard to their statement...
View attachment 45438

The rising cost and supply chain issues are real but, still, they're usually packed and so is St. Augustine so their points #2 (lingering affect) and #3 (guest's tastes) make no sense to me.

Me personally, I believe another company has already purchased the property so perhaps this has more to do with a big payday and opportunity to get out and enjoy retirement (of which they have that right and I don't blame them) then what they put in their manifesto.

I'm with ya on the selling/retiring. The Leonardo's founders tried to sell us publicly on their reasons, then the entire block immediately gets demolished for a huge new development... Good on 'em, but don't sell us your do gooder story, just tell us yer cashin out

 

[AuggieDosta]

Apparently, the name and rights were owned by ServeStar while the property was owned by John Arbozonni (sp) and John leased the property to ServeStar. So ServeStar and SAs are done but John could still do something else/new with the property.