On Saturday morning, Aug. 8, Roger Alexanian and Dori Blockberger-Alexanian posted on social media that Jax Fish Fry had closed. The restaurant sat at 170 Fountains Way, Unit 7, in The Fountains at St. Johns off County Road 210. It had been there nearly three years. Dori has been fighting cancer for almost two years, and the couple wrote that they wanted to concentrate on her care plan and enjoy their time together.
Their post also said something about the storefront. They were glad the next restaurant was taking over their space, and they expected it to be "bringin' a little north to the south."
The next restaurant was Ned's New England Deck. It opened Sept. 23 in the same unit, about six and a half weeks after the farewell post.
A Corner Built by People Who Missed Home
Jax Fish Fry opened in the Fountains in October 2023, and Dori told the Times-Union at the time that they wanted to bring a little of the North to the South. The idea came from Roger's hometown of Troy, New York. A fried cod sandwich unique to Upstate New York was a must-have meal on every family visit, and the couple could not find one here. Dori bakes, so the restaurant also sold New York-style cheesecakes, cookies and cakes, all made in-house from family recipes.
Ned's starts from the same place. Two founders who grew up in New England and now live in Nocatee built the menu around food they ate as kids. Steve Forbes, one of the founders, said in the company's release that the food is simple by design. His description of the lobster roll is specific: "We bring in live Maine lobster, cook it ourselves." He contrasted that with starting from frozen lobster meat.
So Suite 7 has now hosted two restaurants with the same origin story. Each was opened by a transplant cooking the sandwich they could not find locally, and each is a northern seafood counter at The Fountains at St. Johns near Beachwalk, at the CR-210 and I-95 interchange. The closure and the opening also read as one continuous story, because the outgoing owners named their successor and wished it well in public.
The Two Menus Side by Side
Both restaurants sell a lobster roll and a fried-seafood plate, which makes the differences easy to see.
| Jax Fish Fry (closed Aug. 8) | Ned's New England Deck (opened Sept. 23) | |
|---|---|---|
| Home region | Upstate New York | New England |
| Signature item | Northern-style fried cod, in baskets and sandwiches | Down East Lobster Roll and North Shore roast beef |
| Lobster roll | Lobster rolls alongside the fried cod | Live Maine lobster, poached and served cold on a buttered New England bun |
| Baking | House-made cheesecakes, cakes and cookies | Not part of the announced menu |
| Bar | Not described in the coverage I found | Beer from Florida and New England, wine, cocktails and mocktails |
| Kids | Family-friendly counter | A play area inside the dining room and patio |
The two menus overlap on lobster rolls. Ned's adds a drinks list and a play area to the same kind of counter service, and its roast beef sandwich has no equivalent at Jax Fish Fry.
What Ned's Puts on the Table
The Down East Lobster Roll is poached lobster with Ned's lobster dressing, celery, bibb lettuce and chives, served cold on a buttered New England bun. Forbes describes the approach as starting with the best ingredients and not overcomplicating them. The menu also lists clam chowder and fried clams.
The North Shore beef sandwich needs more explanation. It is slow-roasted rare roast beef, thinly sliced, with barbecue sauce on a roll. Its origin story goes back to 1951 at Kelly's Roast Beef on Revere Beach, Massachusetts. According to Edible Boston, a canceled wedding left a pile of uncarved roast beef, which was sliced thin and piled on grilled buns. The classic "three-way" order adds American cheese, mayonnaise and James River Barbecue Sauce. A new restaurant in Saint Johns is now selling a sandwich that was first assembled on Revere Beach in 1951 from wedding leftovers.
Two practical details from the opening announcement:
- The drinks list. Ned's pours beer from Florida and from New England, plus wine, cocktails and mocktails.
- The kids' corner. The St. Johns location has a play area called Play Date Social at Ned's Hideaway, in one part of the dining room and patio. Parents can have a drink while young children play.
Ned's also plans to add breakfast, but no date has been announced. Menu prices and hours for the St. Johns location were not published in the coverage of the opening, so check with the restaurant before planning a lunch run.
The Rest of the Fountains, and What Else Is Coming
The Fountains at St. Johns sits on nearly 100 acres at County Road 210 West and Interstate 95. The first phase is anchored by Ascension St. Vincent's Health Center and has included Culver's, Grumpy's, Endeavor Health Center and Lil Voyagers Academy day care. Cross Regions Group is the developer.
A second phase, Fountains East, has signed tenants including Island Wing Co., DaVinci's Pizza, Toasted Yolk, Wicked Cookies and St. Johns Aesthetics and Wellness Center. The developer describes it as a walkable town center of about 35,000 square feet, and a 137-room Home2 Suites by Hilton is planned beside it. The most recent update I found, from February 2026, put hotel completion in the first quarter of 2027. I did not find confirmation that the Fountains East restaurants have opened, so treat that list as signed and planned.
Elsewhere in Saint Johns, two other projects are in motion, both without confirmed opening dates:
- Firehouse Subs on Crosswater Parkway. The Jacksonville-founded chain plans a restaurant at 1035 Crosswater Parkway, Suite A. It would join the existing Firehouse Subs at 480 Durbin Pavilion Drive. The company confirmed the plan but has not said when it will open.
- Chipotle at The Pavilion at Durbin Park. A February report showed it in Building F, taking the former Rumble Boxing space, alongside T-Mobile, Firehouse Subs and Jana Steakhouse.
Whether either has opened by the time you read this is worth a quick check on the day.
A Straightforward Week at 170 Fountains Way
Suite 7 never sat empty for a season. Jax Fish Fry announced its closure on Aug. 8, and Ned's opened Sept. 23. For anyone who drives past that end of the Fountains on the way to Culver's or the hospital, the front door now leads to a different kind of counter.
The lobster roll and the North Shore beef are the two items Ned's built its name on, and both are on the menu at 170 Fountains Way. A weeknight visit with young children can use the play area. The bar makes it possible to sit down with a New England beer and a chowder. Jax Fish Fry's fried cod and cheesecakes are gone from that address, and the owners' farewell post remains the record of what came before.
The Hearn Group follows openings like this one because they shape an ordinary week in Saint Johns. If you would like to know what your own home near the Fountains at St. Johns is worth today, Rosanne Hearn's team is glad to run the numbers. Request a Free Home Valuation.
