Small enterprise homeowners cite financial system, rising prices as they shut doorways in Northwest Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Northwest Jacksonville enterprise homeowners closed their doorways, saying a difficult financial system, altering shopper spending habits, and monetary pressures have made it tough to proceed working.

For years, each companies served as gathering locations for the group — one by way of pictures and content material creation, the opposite by way of meals and fellowship. Now, their homeowners are saying goodbye.

Carissa Glanton just lately closed The Selfie Showroom, a pictures and content material creation house that operated in Jacksonville for 4 years.

“A lot of people came here to celebrate birthdays, take pictures, and have a unique experience,” Glanton stated. “It was something different that I really wanted to bring to Jacksonville.”

But by the center of final 12 months, she stated enterprise started slowing down.

“That’s when things started to trickle down for us, and it was just hard to keep the operations going,” Glanton defined.

The Selfie Room formally closed on May 17.

For Glanton, the toughest half isn’t shedding the enterprise itself.

“It’s letting down the community,” she stated. “We built so much here with Selfie Fest, and we’re doing all these parties here. It was like we were building our own community here, so and there’s a lot of people who, you know, wanted something different in Jacksonville and they really enjoyed this place.”

Just a couple of minutes away at Trout River Food Truck Park, one other proprietor is going through an identical actuality.

Chef Love, proprietor of Chef Love Sol Cuisine, introduced she can be closing after 5 years in enterprise.

Business, she stated, has turn into more and more tough.

“Challenging. Uncertain. Confusing. Doubtful,” Chef Love stated when requested how enterprise has been recently.

The meals truck has operated at Trout River Food Truck Park since 2023, after relocating from Arlington.

“The Northside embraced me with so much love,” she stated. “They wanted Chef Love, and they’ve proven that to me.”

Despite sturdy group assist, Chef Love stated financial uncertainty has taken a toll on gross sales.

“We’ve seen a big decrease because of the economy,” she stated. “People are unsure right now. Going out to eat is a luxury for many families. Even though I feel my food is affordable, it still comes out of their income.”

Chef Love additionally believes small companies face distinctive challenges that many purchasers don’t all the time see.

“It takes a lot of sacrifice — financially, emotionally, and creatively,” she stated. “Small businesses are not built overnight.”

Both homeowners stated probably the most tough a part of closing is saying goodbye to the individuals who supported them.

“My customers have followed me from photography into the Selfie Room,” Glanton stated. “Letting them down is what made this really hard.”

Chef Love echoed that sentiment.

“My customers, my team, and my community depended on me,” she stated. “They’ve been sending messages and showing me love through all of this. I’ll never forget that.”

The two homeowners additionally spoke concerning the significance of supporting native companies earlier than they’re gone.

“When you don’t have the small businesses, you don’t have a good, solid community,” Chef Love stated. “They need a place to go, because not everybody can go across the bridge.”

While each storefronts are closing, neither proprietor says that is the tip of their journey.

Glanton hopes to stay concerned in artistic and community-focused work, whereas Chef Love says she plans to take time to replicate earlier than deciding what’s subsequent.

“Chef Love is not over,” she stated. “I’m excited about the future. But right now, I need to take a break and look back at everything we’ve accomplished.”

For each ladies, the closures mark the tip of 1 chapter — and the start of one other.

“It’s not over,” Chef Love stated. “I gave it my all.”

The City of Jacksonville says assist is accessible by way of its Office of Economic Development, which gives assets starting from startup help to enterprise incubator applications and monetary incentives.

More info may be discovered on the city’s website.