Live-fire cooking is coming to one of Jacksonville’s fastest-growing retail corridors.
Ember & Iron, the rustic American restaurant known for its oak-burning hearth grill and chef-driven seasonal menus, will open a second location in 2028 at The Village at Seven Pines, an up-and-coming retail destination at the intersection of J. Turner Butler Boulevard and Kernan Boulevard.
The Seven Pines restaurant will mark the third concept for Chef Michael Cooney and Brittany Cooney, who also own Gemma Fish + Oyster in San Marco. The flagship Ember & Iron is located at the Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway in St. Johns County.
Preliminary plans call for a 4,900-square-foot standalone building with both indoor and outdoor seating. A private dining room for large gatherings and special events is also under consideration.
“We have a great relationship with Regency — our Gemma lease is with them,” co-owner Brittany Cooney said. “A while back I was on the phone with them and we were just talking, and I said if they had anything available, keep us in mind. We love to grow and are always looking for new locations.”
When she received renderings and information about Seven Pines, she said the decision quickly took shape.
“I got a pamphlet of Seven Pines and the renderings, and I fell in love with it and learned more about the history of the land,” she said. “They’re assembling a unique spread of tenants. The look of it is stunningly beautiful. There were just so many things pointing to ‘yes.’”
The new restaurant will initially serve dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with plans to introduce lunch and weekend brunch in the future.
She added that the development’s curated tenant mix stood out in contrast to more corporate-heavy retail areas around the city, adding another layer of appeal.
“I think we’ll bring a lot of authenticity [to the area],” Cooney said. “The Town Center is very heavily corporate. It has its place in our city, and I’m such a supporter of restaurants in general, but Seven Pines is so authentic and unique in who they are bringing in, so I think we will bring a lot of authenticity to the area because we are so local.”
At the center of the concept is Ember & Iron’s defining feature: an 8-foot oak-burning hearth grill, designed to impart smoky depth and char to proteins, vegetables and breads.
“The identity is the warmth of the hearth,” Cooney said. “That hearth grill — it’s 8-foot, oak-burning, there is no electricity to it. It is who we are. It symbolizes everything that Ember & Iron is. It’s warm, inviting and nostalgic.”
Unlike conventional kitchen equipment, the grill requires daily attention.
“You have to tend it with love,” she said. “The fire has to burn from 2 to 11 p.m. every night. We start it from scratch every day, and that really does symbolize our restaurant as a whole.”
The open-kitchen layout makes the fire part of the guest experience.
“You can see [the grill], so I think that plays a really big role that guests can see the flames from our open kitchen,” Cooney said.
The full Ember & Iron menu will be offered at the upcoming Seven Pines, including favorites like chimichurri steak with crispy fried garlic-rosemary potatoes; seared salmon with jasmine rice and pistachio pesto; ember-grilled shrimp in togarashi butter; and Logan Turnpike Mill skillet cornbread in cast iron with whipped honey butter and pepper jelly.
Other specialties include a 16-ounce ribeye, beef short rib, shrimp linguini and the E&I steak burger, along with chef-driven daily features. Desserts range from house-made key lime pie to skillet cookie à la mode and s’mores pie.
A new addition to the concept will be a raw bar menu inspired by Gemma Fish + Oyster, expanding the restaurant’s seafood offerings.
The beverage program will feature a full bar with a specialty bourbon and whiskey selection — including allocated whiskeys — and a signature cocktail list with drinks such as the St. Johns County Housewife and the E&I Hibiscus Margarita.
The Seven Pines restaurant will employ approximately 40 team members, with design services by Rebecca Davisson Interior Design and construction by Serrafin Master Builders.
For the Cooneys, the expansion represents a milestone.
“Going from two to three is a really big step,” Cooney said. “When we first opened Ember, we were wondering what our magic number is, and I think three is the magic number.”
She added that growth is as much about people as it is about property.
“Being able to build [with] our team is exciting,” she said.
The addition of Ember & Iron further expands dining options in the rapidly developing Butler Boulevard corridor and positions Seven Pines as a future dining destination in the area.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ember & Iron to bring its signature hearth grill to Seven Pines
Reporting by Alexandria Mansfield, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
