Earnest Davis built this place with his own hands. During long hours tending the boiler at the Beaches Laundry, he planned a spot where Black residents of the Beaches, living under segregation, could have a decent place to gather, eat, drink and talk. He drew up the plans, dug the foundation, poured the concrete and stacked the block walls himself on an empty lot next to his house on Robert Street, just west of Mayport Road. He opened in 1963 and added a big back room later, when he could.
About That Name
Davis drew straws with his daughters over who would name the place, and he lost. The daughters went through a thick dictionary and came back with "voussoir," the keystone of an archway. Davis approved. "It's the strongest stone," he said. "I guess I'm the strongest point in the building." Spelled the way it sounds, it became Voo Swar.
Inside
A 2019 profile described a diner bar with stools up front, a pool table and small tables, and a glass case of Navy caps from ships that called nearby Mayport home. The larger back room had another pool table and a stage for the soul bands that played there. Shortly after Jacksonville got its NFL team, the building took a coat of Jaguars teal and gold, inside and out. Davis died in January 2019, two days after turning 88, and that year the City of Atlantic Beach gave him its Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award.
Comedy Night
Stand-up is part of the week here now. River City Comedy runs a weekly show at Voo Swar with a rotating mix of local and touring comics, and the listing promises soul food and cold drinks to go with it.
- The show is 21 and over.
- Parking is free.
- Nights can change, so check your ticket for the night's rules.
River City Comedy sells its own tickets online, so there is no ticket button on this page.
Nearby
First Coast Comedy runs improv on Mayport Road a few minutes away, and the River City crew also books Ink Factory Brewing in Jacksonville Beach. More comedy at the beach is on the Beaches page.