Jacksonville Morton's Changes Ownership, Closes Abruptly | News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Morton's on Jacksonville's Southbank has closed.  The signs are down, and we found a moving truck in the parking lot Wednesday night.

"I'm shocked.  I'm shocked.  You know, it's a landmark in this area," former customer Alison Lynch said.  "If I have to tell people where I am I say I'm across from Morton's.  Not anymore, I don't know what happened."

Morton's employees may be wondering the same thing, after the restaurant abruptly closed Wednesday morning. 

Kris Guthrie, a spokesperson with Morton's new parent company, Landry's, said, "Over time, demographics shift and so do the areas in which businesses thrive and it's because of this that we must close the Morton's location in Jacksonville."

Sam Horovitz lives across the street from Morton's. "That's one of my favorite parts about living in this area. I actually work next door, so I walk to work too. So I like to have things to walk to. I don't like to take the car out."

That's what many people say who moved to this area. There are still restaurants left: a Ruth's Chris down the street and a Chart House, which is also owned by Landry's, across the way.

After a recent corporate takeover, the Landry's chain has closed a number of restaurants across the country in addition to the one here. The Jacksonville Morton's opened in 2000.