Eight O’Clock Coffee

1741 West Beaver Street

The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) was founded in New York City by George Gilman in 1859. Originally established as Gilman & Company, it was renamed A&P in 1869. By 1930, A&P had grown into the world’s largest retailer, generating $2.9 billion in sales across 16,000 store locations. Until 1965, A&P maintained its position as the largest retailer in the United States, achieving a level of cultural prominence comparable to that of Walmart, McDonald’s, or Google today.

A&P’s Southeastern Headquarters was located in Jacksonville, Florida, where its regional operations included an industrial bakery and the Eight O’Clock Coffee roasting plant. The coffee roasting facility opened near the West Beaver Street viaduct in 1925, followed by the addition of the industrial bakery in 1932.

The company’s decline began in the post–World War II era, as A&P struggled to adapt to changes in the retail landscape and lost ground to more modern competitors. In 1968, A&P relocated most of its Jacksonville operations—except for the coffee plant—to new facilities, including a warehouse on the city’s Northside, now occupied by Sysco International Food Group. During the 1980s, Beaver Street Fisheries acquired much of the former A&P complex on West Beaver Street.

The Jacksonville Eight O’Clock Coffee plant ceased operations in 1990. Although A&P experienced a brief revival in the early 2000s, it ultimately filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in both 2010 and 2015, ceasing operations for good in 2015. Today, Eight O’Clock Coffee is produced by the Eight O’Clock Coffee Company, a subsidiary of Tata Consumer Products, with its sole remaining roasting facility located in Landover, Maryland.

Bingham Coffee Company

312 Park Street / 5970 Philips Highway

Polychronis Hanjakos, born in Greece in 1877, immigrated to New York City in 1919. In 1923, together with Michael Carvelis, he founded the Arabian & Turkish Coffee Company at the Ocean Street Market in Downtown Jacksonville.

The following year, in 1924, family member Peter Hanjakos and William Carantzas opened the Colonial Coffee & Tea Company at 715 Main Street. Carantzas, also a native of Greece, was the proprietor of the Manhattan Hotel, located at 1015 West Bay Street in the Railroad Row district of LaVilla.

After the Arabian & Turkish Coffee Company closed, Polychronis Hanjakos joined Peter at the Colonial Coffee & Tea Company. In 1930, he sold his interest in the business to local businessman Thomas V. Porter and established the National Coffee Company at 853 Kings Road in LaVilla. The company continued operations until the death of Paul Christ Hanjakos in 1943.

In 1931, James William Bingham joined the National Coffee Company as a salesman. Born in Kentucky in 1887, Bingham had relocated to Jacksonville after World War I and spent much of the 1920s running a downtown restaurant.

Two years later, in 1933, Bingham founded his own roasting business, the Bingham Coffee Company—located at 312 Park Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood. Around the same time, a 19-year-old newcomer named Frederic Robert Martin joined the company as a coffee salesman. Over time, Martin became a part owner of the business.

In 1957, the Bingham Coffee Company was sold. Bingham retired and moved to Miami Beach, while Martin acquired the Bartley Coffee Company and established the Martin Coffee Company.

Bartley Coffee Company

327 East Bay Street

The Bartley Coffee Company was established in 1936 by Francis A. Bartley, who had previously served as vice president and general manager of the W.S. Quinby Company’s coffee roasting operation, located in the Union Terminal Warehouse on Jacksonville’s Eastside.

Bartley’s own coffee roasting plant was situated at 327 East Bay Street, in the heart of Downtown Jacksonville’s bustling working waterfront district.

After more than two decades of operation, the Bartley Coffee Company was acquired in 1957 by Fred and Amy Martin, who rebranded the business as the Martin Coffee Company.

Condaxis Coffee & Tea Inc.

1805 W Beaver St

Condaxis Coffee was founded in 1959 by Peter “Tykie” Condaxis. Born in Manhattan to Asia Minor refugees of Greek descent, Peter grew up in a family rooted in hospitality, his parents operated the Coffee Pot restaurant on Eighth Avenue during the 1930s.

In 1950, Condaxis was stationed at Cecil Field while serving in the U.S. Navy. Following his service, he remained in Jacksonville and, in 1954, joined the quality control department at the Maxwell House coffee roasting plant downtown.

After five years of industry experience, Condaxis took a bold step and launched his own wholesale coffee roasting business with a $500 investment.

Two decades ago, Condaxis Coffee sourced most of its beans directly from growers in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. At the time, very little coffee came through the Port of Jacksonville; instead, it was primarily trucked in from major hubs like New York, Miami, and New Orleans.

Today, Condaxis Coffee & Tea stands as the second-largest coffee roaster in Jacksonville and is recognized as a legacy business in the city’s Rail Yard District. Its diverse client roster includes Metro Diner, Bagel 13, Village Bread Cafe, Beach Diner, Marker 32, North Beach Fish Camp, Planet Fitness, Safe Harbor, Grumpy’s Restaurant, Alhambra Theatre & Dining, Soul Food Bistro, Cross Creek Steakhouse, and Taverna.