Jumbo's
| Jumbo's | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Closed | July 2014 |
| City | Miami |
| State | Florida |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 25°50′37″N 80°12′32″W / 25.8436°N 80.2088°W |
Jumbo's was a restaurant in Miami's Little River neighborhood, in the U.S. state of Florida. It initially was named Jumbo Frank's before a family from Pennsylvania bought the business and was subsequently renamed to Jumbo's. Its owners identified it as the first white-owned restaurant in Miami to employ and serve black people, having done so in the late 1960s. The restaurant closed in July 2014 after nearly 60 years of business serving foods including conch, fried chicken, and shrimp.
History
[edit]After having previously operated under the name Jumbo Frank's, the restaurant was then bought by a family from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, in 1955; it was then renamed and operated as Jumbo's.[1][2] The diner was located near the intersection of Seventh Avenue and Northwest 75th Street in Little River.[1] According to the owners, Jumbo's became the first white-owned restaurant in Miami to employ and serve black people, beginning in the late 1960s.[note 1][3] Notably, three black people were employed there, and thirty white employees quit as a result of this move.[4]
The restaurant was not affected during the 1980 Miami riots, and some people who participated in the civil unrest went to Jumbo's after it concluded.[1][5] In 2005, the diner's dining room was substantially damaged following Hurricane Wilma, with damage totaling in excess of $400,000.[1][5] Seven years later, the restaurant was again damaged after a pickup truck crashed into a parked vehicle in the restaurant's parking lot; the impacted car was pushed into the entrance and dining room, killing two people who were just outside the restaurant.[1][6][4]
The restaurant was included in the Congressional Record in 2005,[7] and was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation in 2008.[4] The Miami New Times described the restaurant as "the Temple of Fried Shrimp".[8] It notably served conch, fried chicken, and shrimp.[9] It closed after nearly 60 years in business during July 2014,[10] and sold to a developer for $490,000 to convert the site where the restaurant stood into an affordable housing complex.[5][11]
See also
[edit]
- List of defunct restaurants of the United States
- List of James Beard America's Classics
- List of restaurants in Miami
Notes
[edit]- ^ Multiple references have different years that this integration occurred. New York Magazine has it in 1966, The New York Times and WLRN-FM includes it in 1967, while the Miami New Times states that it occurred in 1968.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Despite Pioneering Integration, Jumbo's Did Not Survive". WLRN-TV. July 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Reisner, Neil (August 11, 2014). "End of the Road for Jumbo's, Miami Soul Food Joint That Battled Segregation". The Forward. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Multiple sources:
- "Despite Pioneering Integration, Jumbo's Did Not Survive". WLRN-TV. July 22, 2014. Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- Robles, Frances (July 22, 2014). "Miami Diner, Pioneer in City's Race Relations, Serves Last Cup". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- Fagenson, Zachary (July 22, 2014). "Liberty City Icon Jumbo's, the Temple of Fried Shrimp, Set to Close After Sale". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- Rainey, Clint (July 23, 2014). "A Miami Diner That Stands As a Civil-Rights Pioneer Will Close Today". New York. Archived from the original on April 18, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Fernandez, Andre C. (July 22, 2014). "Jumbo's, pioneer Liberty City eatery, closes its doors". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on October 5, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Robles, Frances (July 22, 2014). "Miami Diner, Pioneer in City's Race Relations, Serves Last Cup". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Avalos, Gilma (July 1, 2012). "Car Slams Into Restaurant, Killing Two in Liberty City". WTVJ. Archived from the original on December 29, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ 2005 Congressional Record, Vol. 151, Page E38 (January 6, 2005)
- ^ Fagenson, Zachary (July 22, 2014). "Liberty City Icon Jumbo's, the Temple of Fried Shrimp, Set to Close After Sale". Miami New Times. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Jones, Monique (July 28, 2014). "Remembering Jumbo's, and Five Other Miami Institutions We've Loved and Lost". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
- ^ Tester, Hank (July 23, 2014). "Jumbo's Restaurant Closing After Nearly 60 Years in Miami". WTVJ. Archived from the original on February 15, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Brozic, Ashley (July 22, 2014). "Jumbo's to Lose Its Soul and Close After 59 Years". Eater. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 5, 2024.