• About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Ideas
Subscribe
The Coastal
  • Development
    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Tunis to Brierwood; TownePlace Suites to North Jax

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: The Great Greek coming to St. Johns; Concealment Express seeks Southbank HQ

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Park Place at San Marco ready to build

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: DDRB reviewing plans for apartments at River City Brewing Co. site

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: New developer for LaVilla townhome project

    Estrella Cocina

    Estrella Cocina Coming to Rooftop of VyStar Downtown Campus

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: GreenWise Market to anchor WGV retail center

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Publix to anchor Crossings at Wildlight

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

    Sun-Ray Cinema building Five Points Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Sun-Ray Cinema Building

    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Stanton High School Jacksonville FL

    Remembering the Old Stanton Normal School

    Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church

    Levy's department store, Jacksonville, FL

    Levy’s Department Store Once Dressed Jacksonville’s Elite

    Skinners' Dairy milk retail huts, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering Hardwick & Lee’s Distinctive Skinners’ Dairy Huts

  • Culture
    • All
    • Art
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Music
    • Shopping
    Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

    Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

    Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

    MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

    MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

    Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

    ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Confederate monument removed in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Biggest Local Stories of 2020

  • Community
    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

    How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

    Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

    Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

    Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

    How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

    Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    COVID-19 Testing homeless population in Jacksonville, FL

    Entire Jacksonville Homeless Shelter Population Tests Negative for COVID-19

  • Food + Drink
    • All
    • Beer
    • Reviews
    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

    Norikase Jacksonville

    BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Palace Saloon, Fernandina Beach, FL

    Florida’s Oldest Bar, the Palace Saloon, Can Be Found on Amelia Island

  • More
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
The Coastal
  • Development
    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Tunis to Brierwood; TownePlace Suites to North Jax

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: The Great Greek coming to St. Johns; Concealment Express seeks Southbank HQ

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Park Place at San Marco ready to build

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: DDRB reviewing plans for apartments at River City Brewing Co. site

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: New developer for LaVilla townhome project

    Estrella Cocina

    Estrella Cocina Coming to Rooftop of VyStar Downtown Campus

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: GreenWise Market to anchor WGV retail center

    Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

    Building Up Jax: Publix to anchor Crossings at Wildlight

  • History
    • All
    • Jax Evolved
    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

    Sun-Ray Cinema building Five Points Jacksonville FL

    Story of a Building: Sun-Ray Cinema Building

    The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

    4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

    Stanton High School Jacksonville FL

    Remembering the Old Stanton Normal School

    Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church, Jacksonville, FL

    Story of a Building: Snyder Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church

    Levy's department store, Jacksonville, FL

    Levy’s Department Store Once Dressed Jacksonville’s Elite

    Skinners' Dairy milk retail huts, Jacksonville, FL

    Remembering Hardwick & Lee’s Distinctive Skinners’ Dairy Huts

  • Culture
    • All
    • Art
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Music
    • Shopping
    Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

    Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

    Dockless Mobility Program Brings E-Scooters to Downtown Jacksonville

    MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

    MURAL SPOTLIGHT: Riverside Park Place by Jason Tetlak

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Sugar Ray, Quad City DJ’s Highlight Jax River Jams Lineup

    Art Notes - Jacksonville, FL

    ART NOTES: Jazz Discovery Series 2021 Kicks off Friday Night

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    “Jax River Jams” Concert Series Coming to Riverfront Plaza in April

    Joseph E. Lee Jacksonville's first black attorney

    Joseph E. Lee Was Jacksonville’s First Black Lawyer – and He Didn’t Stop There

    Confederate monument removed in Jacksonville, FL

    5 Biggest Local Stories of 2020

  • Community
    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Partners with JAMS for 2021 MOO-VE IT 5K

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    Local Companies Anact, SurfearNEGRA Join Forces to Address Aquatic Inequality

    The Pitman Sisters, TikTok video stars from Jacksonville, FL

    How “The Pitman Sisters” Became TikTok Famous During COVID-19

    Local Women in Cannabis, Jacksonville, FL

    Breaking the “Grass Ceiling”: Local Women in Cannabis

    Urban Mining Jacksonville FL

    How Urban Mining Utilizes Donations to Provide Computers for Local Kids

    Cowford Chophouse Teams Up with Jacksonville Arts & Music School for 4th Annual MOO-VE IT 5K

    Cowford Chophouse Raises Over $18,000 for Jacksonville Arts & Music School

    COVID-19 Testing homeless population in Jacksonville, FL

    Entire Jacksonville Homeless Shelter Population Tests Negative for COVID-19

  • Food + Drink
    • All
    • Beer
    • Reviews
    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

    Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

    Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

    Dochi, Jacksonville, FL

    Japanese Donut Pop-Up Shop Dochi Coming to Town Center

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Jax-Based SipClean Debuts New Canned, Non-Alcoholic Rosé

    Taverna Meals for Medical Workers Jacksonville Baptist Health

    Taverna Gives Back to First Responders with “Meals for Medical Workers”

    The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

    Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

    Norikase Jacksonville

    BENTO Group to Debut Norikase Concept in Jacksonville

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Chef Tom Gray Introduces Line of Grocery Store Culinary Products

    Palace Saloon, Fernandina Beach, FL

    Florida’s Oldest Bar, the Palace Saloon, Can Be Found on Amelia Island

  • More
    • Hidden Gems
    • Local Quirks
    • Lists
    • Sports
    • 904VIEWS
    • Seven Bridges
    • Music
No Result
View All Result
The Coastal
No Result
View All Result

Long Before Taco Lu, There Was The Homestead Restaurant

by The Coastal
October 30, 2020
in Food + Drink, History, Local Quirks
The Homestead Restaurant, Jacksonville Beach, FL

(Original photo via Google Maps data, 2007)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Taco Lu has become a fixture in Jax Beach after just over a decade of business, but its current location was once home to an even more crucial element of “Jax-icana”: The Homestead Restaurant.

Though it went through many iterations and ownership groups over the years, The Homestead first opened its doors in 1947 within a two-story, pine-log building at what’s now 1712 Beach Boulevard. Its founder, Alpha Paynter, owned the building and had been utilizing it as a boarding house prior to opening her new restaurant.

Paynter, who also owned and operated the Copper Kettle Inn and Restaurant in nearby Atlantic Beach, grew the restaurant into a Beaches staple serving up a menu of Southern cuisine. She led the restaurant up until just before her death in 1962.

Shortly before passing, Paynter sold the restaurant to the Johansen family, who also owned La Chateau in Atlantic Beach. The Johansens owned the restaurant for just over a decade before selling it to Steve Macri.

Macri would ultimately become the eatery’s longest-tenured purveyor, operating The Homestead for over twenty-five years. It was during Macri’s tenure that a one-story addition was constructed on the front of the building, adding seating and bar space that was referred to as the Copper Top bar, named for its copper bar top.

But the turn of the century brought about turbulent times for The Homestead. The restaurant briefly closed its doors in late 2001 before being sold to the Marvin family; this marked the first of three changes in ownership within a decade for the restaurant. The Marvins lasted until 2007, when the restaurant again closed its doors. Another new owner launched a revival in 2008, but this time the eatery lasted just two years before closing again.

You MightAlso Like

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

The property was sold yet again, and this time the restaurant was rebranded as Copper Top. The loss of the iconic Homestead branding didn’t help the already-struggling restaurant, which lasted just one year with its new name before closing permanently.

In 2012, Mexican eatery Taco Lu moved into the building, having outgrown its existing location further down Beach Boulevard. It’s occupied the building ever since, becoming a Beaches staple in its own right along the way.

One last attempt at reviving The Homestead in a new location, this time led by its former chef Bo Johns, opened in 2018; it closed later the same year.

Today, the sole reminder of The Homestead’s existence comes in the form of its old building – occupied by Taco Lu, but largely unmodified on the inside from its time as The Homestead.

Although if you believe local legend, you might run into its original owner, Ms. Paynter, in the women’s restroom, still overseeing her building to this day as something of a friendly apparition.

ShareTweetSendShareShare
Previous Post

A Brief History of Jacksonville’s Indoor Shopping Malls

Next Post

Building Up Jax: DariFair Foods building new HQ; Bread & Board’s downtown build-out

The Coastal

The Coastal is a local magazine in Jacksonville, FL, founded in 2015 to bring you stories about the past, present, and future of the First Coast.

Related Posts

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

Green Turtle Restaurant in Jacksonville, fl

Remembering Joe Adeeb’s Green Turtle Restaurant

San Marco Theater, San Marco, Jacksonville, FL

Story of a Building: San Marco Theatre

Sun-Ray Cinema building Five Points Jacksonville FL

Story of a Building: Sun-Ray Cinema Building

The Phoenix Bar & Bowling, Jacksonville, FL

4 Older Neighborhoods in Jax with Big Potential

Next Post
Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Development and Construction News Every Saturday - The Coastal

Building Up Jax: DariFair Foods building new HQ; Bread & Board's downtown build-out

LaRose Women's Footwear, Jacksonville, FL

Remembering LaRose, Jacksonville’s Famous Women’s Shoe Store

Buc-ees and Costco coming to St. Johns County, FL

Costco, Buc-ee’s Hope to Bring New Life to World Commerce Center

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

LATEST POSTS

Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall
Culture

Jacksonville Jazz Fest to Return This Fall

After a forced hiatus last year due to COVID-19, Jacksonville Jazz Fest will be back this fall for its belated...

Read more
Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: Tunis to Brierwood; TownePlace Suites to North Jax

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Crazy Beans Coffee Makes Debut Inside JRTC at LaVilla

Building Up Jax - Jacksonville Construction and Development Updates Each Saturday

Building Up Jax: The Great Greek coming to St. Johns; Concealment Express seeks Southbank HQ

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

Before Normandy Mall, There Was the Loew’s Normandy Drive-In Theatre

The Coastal

© 2015-2020 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.

Browse by Section

  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Submit Story Ideas

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
    • Development
  • Culture
  • History
    • Jax Evolved
  • In the Community
  • Food + Drink
  • Sports
  • About
    • Contact Us
    • Submit Your Story
    • Advertise

© 2015-2020 Cowford Media / The Coastal Jacksonville LLC. All rights reserved.