Jacksonville’s lone record store will have a new home in the new year.
Pizza Records announced on Tuesday that they will closing their doors at the Gilham House on Friday, December 29th at 8PM and begin their move to the downtown Square.
Co-owner Devin Smock says there’s a lot of new things coming: “It definitely is exciting. We will have significantly expanded inventory, all kinds of fun stuff, vintage audio equipment. It’s a lot but it’s exciting.”
Smock says that the expanded space at 59 Central Park Plaza will also allow them to expand their live entertainment offerings: “It’s about 4,500 square feet, and about half of it is the entertainment venue. We are starting to book acts now trying to get local artists, comedians, anything really to come in and perform.”
Smock says if you are in a local band, are a local promoter, or offer live entertainment to contact them to possibly get booked. In their Tuesday announcement, Pizza Records will use a shared revenue agreement in which they will take a portion of a cover charge in order to provide local entertainment a place to play.
Smock says that the store will be closed for a couple of weeks while they move their inventory and set up at their new location. Pizza Records will reopen at their new location on January 13th at 8AM.
Shortly after the reopening, Pizza Records and the Jacksonville VFW will be co-sponsoring a ping-pong beer league starting on January 16th. Sign-up forms and information for the league can be found on the store’s Facebook page.
Smock says to stay tuned there is more announcements to come. Smock says he’s glad to become a part of the recipe of success that’s growing in Downtown Jacksonville. Smock says that Pizza Records will be a part of all of the square’s events and offer space to vendors during those events.
The former Gilham House will now be taken over by new owners Ross Blakeman and Nathan Peak of Rosebud and Co. Flower and Plant Shop in Beardstown. Blakeman & Peak have not made any announcements on what their new idea will be for the former funeral home turned retail space.