ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The legacy Kings Head British Pub in St. Johns County has officially closed its doors.
Owner Elaine Frew said a new restaurant will take its place and everything must go, including the massive red bus on US Highway 1. The iconic 73-year-old red double-decker bus left its long-time location Thursday evening after sitting outside of the pub for more than 30 years.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
“It’s been sitting here for 36 years, and my mom drove it here,” said Frew.
Owners of the Kings Head British Pub, Elaine Frew and Ann Dyke said they were willing to leave the bus for the new pub owners at no cost. However, they said the owners asked for it to be taken off the property.
“The new owners are crazy. They should’ve left the bus stay, it’s an icon,” said Dyke.
The bus was headed to a local junkyard.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Now, the owners said it will be restored, and this is only made possible with the help of the owner of St. Johns Food Services Craig Smith. He believes this local piece of history still has a lot of life left.
“We have a lot of options, were going to come up with something fun for it. My brother suggested making it an Airbnb. We thought of doing fish and chips out of the side of it,” said Smith.
Smith adds they are not sure if they can get it back running on the road. But as of right now, it is still a possibility.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Frew said it was hard saying goodbye to their second home, but they were not prepared to also say bye to what they call a “St. Augustine landmark.” She said it was a part of many people’s everyday commutes, and it helped people when giving directions.
“Everybody in the neighborhood is saying we won’t know how to get home anymore. People used to say go up US Highway 1 and turn right at the red bus,” said Frew.
Owners told Action News Jax Shanila Kabir the restaurant closed ultimately due to a staffing shortage that could not meet the ongoing demand. Frew said it was the hardest decision for them to make, but they are thankful for the support from people all over Northeast Florida who kept them afloat for three decades.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
