Faphouse Jax Slayher Christie Stevens Chea New Jun 2026

Jacksonville’s New Cultural Hotspot: FAPHouse Opens Its Doors By Maya L. Rivera – Arts & Culture Correspondent April 16, 2026

A bold vision for “Food, Art, & Play” On a sunny Saturday morning, the downtown streets of Jacksonville (locally known as “Jax”) buzzed with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. A sleek, industrial‑style building on Main Street—formerly a vacant warehouse—was about to be christened FAPHouse , an acronym the founders say stands for Food, Art, and Play . The brainchild of local entrepreneur and community activist Slayher (real name: Marcus “Mack” Harper), FAPHouse promises to be more than just another restaurant or gallery. It is designed as an incubator for emerging talent, a gathering place for families, and a showcase for Jacksonville’s growing creative economy.

“Jax has always been a city of makers,” Slayher told our reporters as he guided us through the open‑plan space. “What was missing was a place where a chef, a visual artist, and a tech‑savvy musician could collaborate under one roof, and where the community could just come to have fun. That’s the heart of FAPHouse.”

The culinary duo: Christie Stevens & Chea New At the culinary helm are Christie Stevens , a Jacksonville native whose farm‑to‑table philosophy has earned her two James Beard nominations, and Chea New , a rising star from the Pacific Northwest known for his inventive Korean‑American fusion. Together, they’ve crafted a menu that mirrors FAPHouse’s multidisciplinary ethos: bold, experimental, and rooted in local ingredients. Signature dishes currently on the menu include: | Dish | Description | |------|-------------| | Riverfront Ceviche | Fresh Gulf shrimp cured in yuzu‑lime brine, tossed with pickled okra, heirloom corn, and a drizzle of house‑made avocado foam. | | Southern Kimchi Fried Chicken | Crispy buttermilk chicken glazed with kimchi‑infused honey, served atop collard greens slaw and sweet potato purée. | | Plant‑Based Jax Jambalaya | A vegan take on the classic, featuring smoked oyster mushrooms, black-eyed peas, and a saffron‑tomato broth. | | Dessert Lab | Rotating “experimental” sweets—think matcha‑infused beignets and a miso‑caramel brûlée—prepared live at the open kitchen. | Both chefs emphasize local sourcing. Stevens works with the nearby St. Johns River Farm Collective , while New imports specialty ingredients from his partner farms in Oregon and South Korea. Their partnership, described by many as “culinary chemistry,” was sparked during a charity food festival earlier this year, where they co‑hosted a pop‑up stall that sold out in under an hour. faphouse jax slayher christie stevens chea new

“Christie brings that deep Southern soul,” Chea says, laughing as he flips a skillet of scallions. “I bring the global spice. When we blend, the result is something that feels both familiar and completely new—just like Jacksonville itself.”

Art, play, and community programming Beyond the kitchen, FAPHouse dedicates three floors to creative pursuits:

The Gallery Loft – Curated by local artist‑collective JaxMakers , the loft rotates exhibits every month, spotlighting everything from muralist Tara “Mosaic” Nguyen to digital sculptor Liam Ortiz . The inaugural exhibition, “River Currents,” features large‑scale mixed‑media pieces that explore Jacksonville’s relationship with water. The brainchild of local entrepreneur and community activist

The Play Lab – A flexible space equipped with interactive installations, a VR arcade, and a “maker’s bench” stocked with 3‑D printers, CNC routers, and woodworking tools. Weekly workshops—ranging from “Intro to Arduino” to “Kids’ Storytelling Through Stop‑Motion” —are free for local schools and non‑profits.

The Stage & Soundroom – An intimate performance area that hosts live music, spoken‑word nights, and podcast recordings. The first act to perform on opening night was the indie‑folk duo The Riverwalks , whose set was streamed live on FAPHouse’s YouTube channel, quickly racking up 12,000 views.

Slayher, who previously ran a co‑working space for tech start‑ups, sees the Play Lab as a bridge between the city’s burgeoning tech scene and its artistic community. “What was missing was a place where a

“We want the next generation of app developers to learn how to paint a mural, and the next generation of painters to understand a bit about coding,” he says. “That cross‑pollination fuels innovation.”

Economic impact & future plans City officials are optimistic about FAPHouse’s potential ripple effects. According to a recent Jacksonville Economic Development Report , venues that combine food, art, and experiential programming generate 30‑40 % higher foot traffic than traditional restaurants alone. Since its soft launch two weeks ago, FAPHouse has recorded an average of 1,200 visitors per day , with a notable uptick in families and out‑of‑state tourists. Mayor Lena Rodriguez visited the opening and praised the project: