St. Johns entrepreneur Jim Ortman is getting ready to re-open an old bank in downtown St. Johns; but this time the vault will hold food, not money.
Ortman’s opening a high-end restaurant called the St. Johns Mint later this spring. Ortman is hopeful that the new venture will make St. Johns more of a destination spot.
“It’s got a theme to it, and we hope that people will want to come for a couple of reasons—the food and the atmosphere,” he says.
Ortman’s been working on the restaurant for a year. As part of his desire for ambiance, he’s kept as much of the 1865 bank’s unique characteristics. He’s kept the original bank door as well as the vault, which will be available for private dining and parties.
"Everything we’re trying to do is based on the money or currency or the bank itself,” he says.
Ortman’s planning on serving American cuisine. He hopes to open the St. Johns Mint this spring. The address of the new St. Johns Mint is 200 N. Clinton Ave.
Source: Jim Ortman, Ortman Photography
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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