The Grazing Tray to reopen soon in downtown Jacksonville, Dewey's Bar & Bistro to also open in same space

After temporarily closing back in February to change locations, The Grazing Tray Owner Samantha Prevatte is ready to get her doors back open, but that's not all — she's also partnered with friend Jennifer Morton to bring even more to downtown Jacksonville.

The Grazing Tray has relocated to 720 Court Street, but it won't be the only business in the building. While The Grazing Tray will operate during the day, Prevatte and Morton's new business Dewey's Bar & Bistro will operate during the evening.

"We relocated because we were given an incredible opportunity to have more of a forever home, rather than renting, which served me really well in the 16 months that I did rent," Prevatte said. "It was just a really good season to make the transition to have a place that I knew would be forever until The Grazing Tray didn't exist anymore. It was just time."

Prevatte wants fans of The Grazing Tray to know, though, that they can expect the same vibe and the same quality of food as before. The main difference? They’ll now be serving coffee.

Because Coffee Haven, which previously shared space with The Grazing Tray at 622 Court Street, made the decision to stick to their one Sneads Ferry location, Prevatte said they’ve decided to add a full coffee menu to The Grazing Tray.

They’ll also now be open on the weekends. Before, The Grazing Tray was open Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Now, though, they’ll be open Monday-Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

With The Grazing Tray operating during the day, the space will then transition into Dewey's Bar & Bistro in the evening. And if the name "Dewey" sounds familiar, it's because 720 Court Street once housed Dewey's Restaurant in the 1940s.

Prevatte and Morton actually bought 720 Court Street from Dewey Edwards, a downtown attorney, whose father had a restaurant in the space many decades ago. Prevatte and Morton wanted to pay homage to the Dewey name, hence "Dewey's Bar & Bistro."

"Our goal is just to kind of have a space where you can go on dates, dress nice, but you can also come right after work and have dinner," Prevatte said. "We’re going to have a menu that's very boutique-style, so it's not this large menu, but it's all handcrafted food and drinks that we’ve been very intentional about. We’ve worked with Chef Brett Goins on building the menu."

Goins is the executive chef for both The Grazing Tray and Dewey's Bar & Bistro, and Prevatte said he's become a pillar in curating menus between both establishments.

Prevatte added the focus of Dewey's Bar & Bistro is going to be community, and they’ll even offer community seating.

She said people can come in and do a traditional sit-down dinner or visit the courtyard side. There will be TVs and the opportunity to play games, but Prevatte said the point is to allow for people to join one another at the various tables.

She said it's really an opportunity to build relationships between people who don't know each other.

Dewey's Bar & Bistro will be open Sunday-Thursday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 5 p.m. to around 1 a.m. The concept of two businesses in one space is not one Prevatte and Morton have really seen in Jacksonville.

"Other places do it, it's not uncommon, it maximizes the space," Morton said. "You know, you probably don't want to come to a deli/cafe at 11 p.m. but you sure would like to go to a bar, so it enables us to offer both."

Prevatte said there will be signage for both businesses, with an understanding that the space will embody The Grazing Tray during the day and Dewey's Bar & Bistro in the evening.

Although the two women don't yet have an opening date that they’re ready to release, they said it will be very soon. With Prevatte's restaurant background and Morton's building/construction background, it's a match made in heaven.

Morton actually also owns Horizons East Building Co., and she said they’re actually in the process of remodeling a building on the corner of New Bridge Street and Warlick Street. Horizons East does mostly residential construction, but Morton said she really wants to see other building owners invest money into downtown, as the area has a lot of potential.

"I think the idea is that it would be really nice to keep people in town and not going to our neighboring cities," Prevatte said. "It was a risk bringing The Grazing Tray down here when there were only a very few select businesses. Because at the moment, we’re a destination location, but the idea in joining forces with Jennifer over here, is that we can be a downtown where you can spend the day. When we started this conversation, it really took off."

Prevatte and Morton have also purchased the old Roses building at 614 Court Street, and although they are not yet ready to release details, Prevatte said they’re at the drawing board with ideas and have a lot of cool concepts they’re playing around with.

She added it's a full investment so it's going to take some time. They were actually in the process of closing on 614 Court Street when 720 became available.

"This is just something we could get in sooner, our concepts could come to life quicker, and we could have this up and running and getting life started, feet on the pavement. Then we could focus on that," Prevatte said. "There were entrepreneurs before us that laid the foundations of these buildings, and there's so many people coming in and out of this town with the military, they need somewhere to go that they don't have to drive an hour to do.

"What's better than two women who are willing to take a risk?"

Prevatte said it's also important to note that both herself and Morton are from the area, and to see downtown come alive is something they didn't get to experience in their early 20s.

She said moving into this space was a huge leap of faith, but she and Morton complement each other well.

As two successful female business owners, both Prevatte and Morton want young women to know they’re capable.

"Women tend to be reserved and unsure about putting themselves out there but you’re capable," Morton said. "You have to have the wanting and you have to figure it out, but you’ve got to know that you can."

Morton said she's super passionate about women in business and empowering women. Prevatte added they’ve got three women-owned businesses to their left and she thinks it's a big deal that deserves to be celebrated.

"Risk it for the biscuit," Prevatte said. "That's me all day long. Especially for indigenous and African American women, odds are already stacked against them, so just going out and pounding the pavement and not stopping when there's obstacles. Be persistent and find a way around it. Building a community of strong women, too, I think is important."

Jacksonville residents should keep their eyes and ears open for The Grazing Tray and Dewey's Bar & Bistro, opening soon in downtown Jacksonville.

Reporter Morgan Starling can be reached at [email protected].