After a Wave of Closures, St. Johns Will Soon Be Home to a Sunny Rice Bowl Restaurant

Bibimbap, house-made tofu, and poke will soon arrive at a new St. Johns cafe this November. Sol Bowl, an incoming restaurant in the former Starbucks space on Lombard, will specialize in health-conscious bowls avoiding processed ingredients.

Sol Bowl comes from Cindy Hymer, the owner of Table 6 near the Convention Center. Hymer, who lives in St. Johns, has had her eye on a space within her future building for ages, hoping to open a restaurant in her own neighborhood. When the Starbucks space opened, she jumped on the opportunity.

Hymer, a self-described “old hippie,” wants the dishes at Sol Bowl to rely on whole foods — grains, greens, and clean protein. She plans to make her own smoked tofu for the restaurant, which she hopes she can also sell to customers to take home. The flavors will incorporate different cuisines from around the world, from a Mexican-influenced rice and bean bowl to a bibimbap she plans to serve in a traditional dolsot, or stone bowl. And there will always be rotating bowls, influenced by everything from pop culture to ingredients.

The space won’t feel much like a Starbucks once the restaurant is complete: Hymer is incorporating the “colors of a sunflower” throughout the restaurant, with lots of warm colors and the occasional pop of sky blue. In general, Hymer wants the restaurant to be welcoming for people of all ages, with a “high school happy hour” from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., followed by a “senior happy hour” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. “Kids in high school are very conscious about food. yeah, they will go to McDonald’s because it’s on the corner,” Hymer says. “But given a good, cheap option, they’ll come here for rice and beans and veggies.” Hymer hopes to open her restaurant by November 12 at 8539 N Lombard Street.

• Table 6 Cafe [Official]