Our Story – Debs Store

Future mission fueled by a family story

“Debs Store, may I help you?”

For over 100 years, the corner brick building at 1478 Florida Avenue served as the symbol of vitality for the Eastside of Jacksonville, Florida. Generations of neighborhood kids grew up knowing to “go to Debs” for all their necessities even if it meant putting it “on the book”. While other corner stores came and went, the Debs name stands as a welcoming fixture the neighborhood depended on for all grocery needs and community connection.

The Debs Family began serving the local community in 1911. The first member of the family to do so was Mary Debs (aka Auntie), who moved to Jacksonville from Lebanon and began selling merchandise door-to-door.

In 1919 her brother, Nicolas and his wife, Rosa moved to Jacksonville to help Auntie and establish the permanent store in 1921.

In a short time, Nicolas evolved the Store on the corner of 5th and Florida Avenue into a landmark of the Jacksonville Eastside community. The Debs family moved in upstairs and eventually grew from a family of two to a family of seven. As one can imagine, the store became a hub of activity and was THE place to go for all the locals.

A brother’s partnership

Nicolas passed the store along to sons Nicholas Jr. (Nick) and Eugene (Gene) mid-century. Nick and Gene began a 50+ year partnership after what felt like a lifetime of learning how to do so from their father. Nicholas recalled “I first began ‘helping’ my father as a boy, maybe 7 years of age.”

The next few decades were filled with trying times, but also happy and hard working times where the community grew closer. Nick and Gene enjoyed these times watching their customers’ families grow along with their own. Sons and nephews took turns joining Nick and Gene working summers and weekends. They all became familiar with stocking the shelves, cutting the lunch meats, running the register and, most importantly, getting to know the customers and their families.

Later years

Sadly Gene passed away in 2006. Nick, now 80 years old, became the sole owner and courageously continued a 6-day-a-week schedule at the Store because he knew people he cared about were relying on him.

On December 3, 2010, Nick entered The Store with his son, Joe. He went on with business as usual, although he knew this day might be his last day in a place that had been so important to him for so long. As if by chance, Mary Kelly Palka from the Florida Times Union stopped by and engaged Nick in a conversation about his time in the Store, which young Joe filmed. None of them realized during this discussion that they were recording the last few minutes that Debs Store would be the same grocery store that had served the Eastside for 90 years.

The Store was closed when Nick passed away in March 2011, but remained in the family for future generations to bring back to life.

A community cornerstone

To Nicolas and sons Nick and Gene, the true celebrities of the Store were the customers and families that made it feel like a family. However, the store had frequent visits from dignitaries and celebrities like Olympian Bob Hayes, World Series pitcher Don Bessent and many other athletes along with politicians such as US Senators, Governors and Mayors.

Everyone who entered the Store was greeted with the same smile and the same genuine warm welcome. It was an inviting place to gather and a comforting place for neighbors to be neighbors.

Debs Store Today

While the doors of Debs Store closed in early 2011 after 90 years, there was a sentiment in the community to bring back Debs Store. in 2017, family members of the next generation of Debs hosted a picnic at Debs Store for former customers and friends of the Store. Over 100 meals were served. Wonderful stories were exchanged among old and new friends and there was an overwhelming sentiment expressed —- BRING BACK DEBS STORE!

That’s exactly what Joe Debs along with his partners are working hard to do. The plan begins with renovation and expansion of the building at 1478 Florida Avenue, bringing the structure back to a place of distinction in the neighborhood. The space will be repurposed as a community space and operated by Goodwill with career & financial training and a fresh food market to improve the lives of everyone who walks through the doors.

The Debs Store model will continue and will be applied to other communities to restore and revitalize neighborhoods in need for the next 90 years.

See Plans for the New Store

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