Noted soul food chef closes Riverside restaurant. But new concept in the works, she says

A Jacksonville restaurant popular for its fresh-from-scratch Southern comfort food and live entertainment has closed abruptly four years after opening its doors in Riverside.

Jazzy's Restaurant and Lounge, 901 King St., has shuttered its doors but a new venture is coming soon, chef and owner Celestia W. Mobley announced Monday on her Instagram account, saying her decision was made with a "heavy heart."

Mobley posted that "…circumstances beyond our control have led us to the unfortunate conclusion that we must close the doors of Jazzy's."

A new concept, 904Jazzy's, is in the works and launching soon, she posted.

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"With fresh ideas and a renewed spirit, we hope to bring you a new culinary adventure that captures the essence of our beloved Jazzy's," Mobley explained in the post. A timetable for the new venture wasn't announced.

Remaining open is Jazzy's sister restaurant, Celestia's Coastal Cuisine, 6765 Dunn Ave. in North Jacksonville, she wrote in the post.

Mobley couldn't immediately be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Mobley, a respected local chef, opened Jazzy's Restaurant and Lounge in 2019. Featuring live R&B, soul and other music plus spoken word performances and other entertainment, it attracted customers from throughout Northeast Florida.

She named Jazzy's for her daughter, Jasmine, who helped open the restaurant in the King Street restaurant and entertainment district of Riverside. —

Two years earlier, Mobley had opened Celestia's Coastal Cuisine. Before then, she had served as executive chef and general manager for The Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro.

Jazzy's was in a King Street storefront at College Street that previously had been Hamburger Mary's Pub House and before that, The Blind Rabbit.

Mobley in the closing announcement cited recent challenges.

"The challenges we face include fraudulent lawsuits and a lack of support from the community, which made it increasingly difficult to sustain the business. Moreover, our lease with the landlord has come to an end, leaving us with no other viable options," Mobley wrote.

Describing them as a blessing, she thanked Jazzy's customers over the years.

"Your presence at Jazzy's made it a place of laughter, friendship, and memories and we will carry those memories in our hearts forever," Mobley said in the post.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Southern comfort, soul food restaurant Jazzy's closes