Daniel Moffatt | The Block Jax, Kanine Social, Live Music & Jacksonville's Third Space
Episode notes
We visited The Block Jax to sit down with owner and founder Daniel Moffatt — and what we found was unlike anything Jacksonville has seen before.
Daniel spent 12 years in commercial banking before walking away from the corporate world to build something the city didn't know it needed. First came Kanine Social — Jacksonville's first private dog park bar with daycare, boarding, and an on-site vet.
Then came The Block Jax — a $9 million outdoor food hall and live entertainment venue built from the ground up with family, community, and intentionality at its core.
This isn't just a place to eat and drink. It's a third space — somewhere between home and work — where Jacksonville residents can gather, disconnect from technology, and actually be present with the people around them.
In this episode:
- The origin of Kanine Social and what it took to convince a city that had no zoning for it
- How Daniel secured SBA funding for a $9M project after his own former bank turned him down
- The intentional design decisions behind The Block Jax — from the 4,000 sq ft kids' play area to the 30x16 ft LED screen
- Why live music at lunch every single day matters for community culture
- Free wellness programming including yoga, Pilates, and fitness fundraisers drawing hundreds of people
- Eight local food vendors under one roof, including a James Beard Award finalist
- The concept of the "third space" and why Jacksonville needed it
- What's next for The Block Jax and the vision for Jacksonville's growth
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