JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The World of Beer location in Jacksonville’s Southpoint area has officially closed its doors — again. Just over a year after reopening in 2024, the restaurant and bar are now permanently shut down, but former employees said the way it ended left them in shock.
The closure was announced Friday afternoon via a Facebook post from the Southpoint location. The message thanked customers and simply stated the business could no longer remain open.
However, some former employees claim that behind the scenes, the shutdown was chaotic and sudden.
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“It was very crazy. No notice, no anything,” said former manager Taylor Morris.
“It was definitely something that no one was really prepared for,” added former server Tateum Kates.
Both said more than 20 employees were informed of the permanent closure at the same time during a staff meeting on Thursday, just one day before the public announcement. According to Kates, there were warning signs leading up to the meeting.
“Tuesday started opening up the shop — water was off. We can’t open the shop, no water. On Wednesday, the power came off. Thursday, we had the meeting, and they were like, ‘We’re done for business. Sorry guys, here are your last checks,’” Kates said.
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Morris confirmed that the “closed” sign posted on the front of the building was due to those ongoing utility issues. She also said that while on-site management tried to help, the silence from ownership left staff — some with families to support — scrambling as the new school year began.
“Two weeks even would be amazing for someone to find a new job,” Kates said.
As for what caused the shutdown, former employees believe it was largely due to location challenges.
“I agree it’s a bad location and I think with more marketing that we could’ve thrived,” Morris added.
The Southpoint World of Beer, located at 5105 J. Turner Butler Blvd., originally opened in 2022, closed, and then reopened in July 2024. This latest closure appears to be permanent.
Action News Jax has reached out to World of Beer for comment on how the closure was handled and whether there are plans to reopen elsewhere. As of airtime, the company has not responded.
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