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From Jacksonville Beach, FL

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Sweet Pete's in downtown Jacksonville

Elegant and beautiful, Sweet Pete's and the Candy Apple Cafe & Cocktails have moved into the renovated Seminole Men's Social Club to sweeten downtown Jacksonville.  The 22,000 foot space has been painted and decorated far, far differently from its 1903 origins.  At the corner of Hogan and Duval near Hemming Park, it is a destination for school and education groups and sweet-tooths.  A wonderful respite from downtown traffic and noise, it is a different world of color, whimsy and sweetness.


                        

Every room has unusual furnishings and fanciful chandeliers, a big change from the formal, dark, well. . .stuffy men's only club inhabiting it until 1989.  Peter Behringer, son of Phyllis Lockwood, owner and founder of Peterbrooke Chocolatier, a much loved Jacksonville candy store, saw its possibilities as a candy store after it had been deserted for a decade.  


                                                The original Seminole Men's Club.


                                     Now refurbished home of Sweet Pete's and the 
                                     Candy Apple Cafe & Cocktails.


                            A bakery and dessert shop occupies one of the rooms.

Sweet Pete's is more than a sweet shop.  It offers classes to adults and children that teach  the art of creating candies and desserts.  It is also a great venue for a birthday party for any age.  




A plate glass window overlooks candy making activities.  Tours of the candy making facility can be arranged.


                       
                                      In the store at Sweet Pete's visitors can buy
          regular, vegan, sugar-free, and gluten free candies.



                                             The Candy Apple Cafe & Cocktails 

                                       More fanciful chandeliers

Sweet Pete's is a wonderful addition to downtown Jacksonville.  A great day would be to go to the library, then walk next door to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), and then across Hemming Park to Sweet Pete's.  With more such businesses, downtown will resurrect.  


                                                      Sign at Sweet Pete's

4 comments:

  1. Sweet Pete's is a welcome addition to downtown Jacksonville! I hope it will have much sweet success.

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  2. They definitely deserve applause for the nice selection of bread and the service at this place which was good from start to finish. The mass produced filet was too good. This is the best place for hosting great events. The party halls in Boston MA can accommodate as many as 850 guests or as little as 50.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Be very careful not to jump into any silly decisions falling for the lose packages offered by the third party broker. Jacksonville small business news

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