By Miguel Hernandez
A new place on the block is giving people the chance to leave home to watch the big game and connect with people across Jacksonville. The Block is a community gathering place in Jacksonville that anybody can enter for free. It provides food for local vendors, plenty of seating, and a massive 30-foot LED wall to watch movies and major sporting events. Daniel Moffat, the Founder and Owner of The Block, wanted to have a place that offers a unique experience compared to the average sports bar.
Moffat said,
“What makes it unique is the atmosphere here… for the Finals you have Spain and Argentina, you got half and half cheering for both teams. It’s just different from going to your typical sports bar, sitting down at a restaurant, sitting down at your table.”
The Block gives people the place to be themselves in a far more open environment. It is a social hub more than a restaurant or a place to watch TV. This kind of environment has been fostered since it opened on March 20th this year.
According to Moffat, “We went from opening, grand opening rush, straight into the World Cup. So we were probably the most popular place in Jacksonville to watch. We had, you know, anywhere from a thousand people for one game, all those people funnel out, another thousand people come in for the next game. We went through probably 70 or 80,000 people over the course of a month and a half for the World Cup.”
Thousands came in and out to experience the World Cup in a place that is distinctly different. Food and sports are not the only things bringing people into The Block. The dog park and kids play area means that The Block has a little something for everyone.