25 new restaurants are in the works for the Jacksonville area in 2024. Here's a list
In 2024, dozens of new restaurants are in the works throughout the greater Jacksonville area from the city's historic neighborhoods to the Beaches. Some are in the early stages while others have opening dates on the horizon.
Among them are big-name national chains staking a claim to new territory and established local favorites expanding their footprint. Others include new concepts from veteran area restaurateurs.
Restaurant openings are subject to multiple factors such as permitting and inspection delays, supply chain disruptions, fluctuating economic conditions and staff shortages.
Nonetheless, here's a look at 25 of the most notable restaurants in the works for the Jacksonville area during the next 12 months or so based on a review of public documents, including building permits, as well as developers' site plans, restaurant social media posts and owners.
Jacksonville-area restaurant roundup: 8 opened, 3 closed in December
Hungry? A table is waiting for you: Top restaurant openings in Jacksonville in 2023
Shake Shack
10281 Midtown Parkway, Jacksonville, shakeshack.com
Known for its fresh-never-frozen hamburgers, crinkle fries and signature shakes, Shake Shack plans to open this year at the St. Johns Town Center, marking its first location in the state north of the Orlando area. The restaurant is set to open in the space now occupied by M Shack, which doesn’t plan to renew its lease at the retail center in March. In addition to its burgers made from a blend of 100% Angus beef, Shake Shack is famous for its shakes, featuring premium ice cream made in-house daily with real cane sugar and cage-free eggs.
Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizzeria
4820 Deer Lake Drive W., No. D-11, Jacksonville, salvatores.com
Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizzeria — a longtime family-owned restaurant — hopes to debut its first restaurant outside its home state of New York late this month in Jacksonville. The restaurant is known for its traditional and specialty New York-style pizzas, which are served up in huge slices as well as a sheet pan. Salvatore's also features calzones, wings, pasta dinners, salads and more. The 1,109-square-foot Jacksonville restaurant will focus on take-out and have limited dine-in seating. Long-term plans indicate it will be the first of multiple locations in Northeast Florida.
Raising Cane's
8396 Merchants Way, Jacksonville, raisingcanes.com
A rising star in the fast-food chicken business, Raising Cane’s is planning its first Northeast Florida restaurant in Southwest Jacksonville, at Oakleaf Station near Gator’s Dockside, according to documents filed with JEA. Founded in 1996, the restaurant is known for its limited menu of fried chicken fingers and signature Cane’s sauce — a secret recipe known only to its managers. Its combo meals — available with two, three, four or six chicken fingers — come with crinkle-cut fries, Texas toast and coleslaw. A chicken sandwich made with three chicken fingers is also available.
Hwy55 Burgers, Shakes & Fries
1027 Danmac Lane, (also listed as 6707 Commonwealth Ave.,) Jacksonville, hwy55.com
The signs are up and construction completed, but it's unknown when Hwy55 Burgers, Shakes and Fries will open its first restaurant in Jacksonville. Officials with the North Carolina-based restaurant chain couldn't be reached for comment. Hwy55 is known for its hand-patted burgers, premium cheesesteaks, and frozen custard as well as entree platters featuring classics such as fried shrimp, grilled and fried chicken and chopped steak. The Jacksonville restaurant is listed online by Wertz Real Estate Investment Services of Carlsbad, Calif. as an "investment offering" under contract for $2,845,733.
Dick Mondell's Burgers & Fries
1177 Third St. S., Jacksonville Beach, dickmondells.com
A popular drive-thru-only Gainesville restaurant with a fictitious namesake but very real, freshly made burgers, fries and shakes is preparing to open in Jacksonville Beach. Dick Mondell's Burgers & Fries hopes to open by the end of February, co-owner Connor Castelli told the Times-Union. Known for its hot-off-the-grill burgers as well as homestyle fries, the restaurant also features plant-based fare and will be offering breakfast sandwiches at the Jacksonville Beach location. Although it's the first in Duval County, the restaurant is the third Dick Mondell's location, joining the original at 412 SW 4th Ave. in Gainesville and a second at 1808 S. Monroe St. in Tallahassee.
Angie’s Subs
Jacksonville International Airport, 2400 Yankee Clipper Drive
Later this year, travelers flying in and out of Jacksonville International Airport will have two new dining options. Offering a selection of sandwiches popular at its longtime Jacksonville Beach location, Angie’s Subs will open an 800-square-foot quick-service restaurant in Concourse A in the former Ciao Gourmet spot. Also at JAX, airport wine bar Vino Volo, which has operated there since April 2014, will share a new 2,592-square-foot space with Verdi Market near the entrance to Concourse C. In addition to wine, Vino Volo offers craft beers and cocktails along with a menu of sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, brunch items and more. And Chili’s, a fixture at the airport for years before closing to accommodate the airport’s new security checkpoint area, is planning a nearly $1.3 million new 4,385-square-foot restaurant.
Strings Sports Brewery
1618 Penman Road, Jacksonville Beach, stringssportsbrewery.com
A family-oriented microbrewery in historic Springfield known for its craft beer, gastropub menu and sports is expanding to Jacksonville Beach. Strings Sports Brewery hopes to open by summer. Veteran restaurateur Scott "String" Adeeb, who founded and owns the microbrewery with sons Colby and Trevor, is renovating the former longtime Terry's Country Store building on Penman Road. Strings typically has 12-15 brews on tap. Menu offerings include made-to-order smoked wings, brisket nachos, burgers, sandwiches, salads, specials such as fish and chips, and other fare. Patrons also can shoot free throws on a full-size basketball hoop and play a variety of interactive games such as darts, Jenga, cornhole, bingo and others.
Insomnia Cookies
815 Lomax St., Jacksonville, insomniacookies.com
Insomnia Cookies is preparing to open its third Jacksonville location in the heart of the Five Points business district near downtown. The Philadelphia-based late-night dessert shop is known for satisfying late-night cravings for warm, fresh-baked chocolate chunk and other cookies as well as rich, fudgy brownies. Insomnia Cookies is building out a 1,174-square-foot storefront on the same block as Taqueria CINco and Odessa Slava Ukrainian Cafe.
Beach Bowl
818 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, beachbowl.com
Five years after it closed abruptly, efforts to revive the historic Beach Bowl are ongoing but no reopening date has been announced. The iconic 64-year-old Jacksonville Beach landmark is undergoing renovations, remodeling and upgrades including the planned addition of a two-story restaurant with rooftop seating. Plans also call for the existing building to be expanded by about 6,200 square feet. When approved in 2021, the estimated cost of the restoration and overhaul of the facility that closed in 2019, was $7.5 million.
The Lomax Restaurant
803 Lomax St., Jacksonville, roostrestaurants.com
Construction is underway on The Lomax Restaurant, the new concept in Five Points from Roost Restaurants LLC — the team behind The Local restaurants in Jacksonville and Neptune Beach. The Lomax replaces the former Wells Fargo bank branch at Lomax and Oak streets. Led by restaurant developers Ted Stein and J.C. Demetree and CEO Eli Durant, the restaurant group is renovating the existing ground-level bank space as well as building a new two-story addition where the bank's drive-thru lanes canopy once stood. A city building permit lists the estimated construction cost as $2,215,000. Neither the opening date nor the menu has been announced.
The Roost
2200 block of Oak Street, Jacksonville, roostrestaurants.com
The Roost is another new concept proposed by restaurant developers Ted Stein and J.C. Demetree of Roost Restaurants LLC. They want to open the new restaurant in the 2200 block of Oak Street at the former Deluxe Laundry and Dry Cleaners and Deluxe Launderette buildings. Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously on Sept. 26 to rezone the property for the restaurant. The potential menu hasn't been made public. The restaurant group previously brought The Local to Neptune Beach and the Miramar neighborhood of Jacksonville. In addition to the Roost, the restauranteurs are bringing a new concept — The Lomax Restaurant — to Five Points, less than a half-mile from the Roost location.
Iguana San Marco
1996 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville, flyingiguana.com
A year after closing abruptly, the historic 86-year-old San Marco Theatre is being renovated to welcome Flying Iguana San Marco — the third in the popular Latin American and Mexican fusion cuisine concept from local restaurateur Al Mansur, who also founded Al's Pizza. The San Marco location will join the original Flying Iguana Taqueria & Tequila Bar in Neptune Beach and its second location, Iguana on Park in Avondale. The two-story, Art Deco-style theatre closed Jan. 1, 2023. Alterations and repairs to accommodate the restaurant were estimated at $160,000 according to a March 7 city building permit. The permit lists the restaurant space at 4,939 square feet.
Tulua Bistro
1703 N. Main St., Jacksonville, tuluabistro.com
Tulua Bistro, a popular Jacksonville Beach bistro, is opening a second restaurant in historic Springfield. The restaurant is known for its bountiful breakfast boards, decadent dessert crepes and humongous, meal-unto-itself, signature Bloody Marys as well as its colorful murals of historic and cultural icons. The new bistro will be in a 78-year-old, two-story building — the former longtime home of Money Tree Jewelry & Pawn — at the corner of Main and Seventh streets.
Billy Jack’s BBQ
9560 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville, billyjacks.com
New barbecue joint Billy Jack’s BBQ will soon join landmark waterfront restaurants Singleton’s Seafood Shack, Safe Harbor Seafood and Sandollar on the St. Johns River. The restaurant is the newest concept from Southern Table Hospitality, the family-owned restaurant group from Marker 32 founders Ben and Liza Groshell. The fast-casual restaurant will have a menu similar to that offered at the couple’s Valley Smoke restaurant “but a lot more casual as far as the daily specials and things like that.”
Capital Tacos
12220 Atlantic Blvd., No. 109, Jacksonville, capitaltacos.com
Known for its fresh-from-scratch tacos and burritos as well as hand-cut tortilla chips, Capital Tacos, a Tampa-based fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant, is preparing to open its first Jacksonville location at Atlantic-Kernan Shops in the city's Intracoastal West area. Capital Tacos will be in the storefront previously used by Sid and Linda's Seafood Market & Restaurant, which closed last May after a decade. The Mexican restaurant hopes to open the Jacksonville restaurant — the first of multiple franchise locations — early this year, according to a June 1, 2023, news release. Jacksonville is among 11 Florida locations either open or coming soon.
Gen Korean BBQ House
4880 Big Island Drive, Suite 6, Jacksonville, genkoreanbbq.com
California-based Gen Korean BBQ House is bringing its high-end Korean barbecue concept to Jacksonville, the first of two restaurants planned in Florida. Founded in 2011, the chain has just over 30 locations in five states and features a large menu of chicken, beef and pork cooked at your table and traditional ban-chan, including Kimchi, Saeng Chae and others. The restaurant is set to open in the former Destination Maternity spot near Cooper’s Hawk and Sugar Factory at Markets at Town Center.
Voodoo Brewing Company
1974 San Marco Blvd., Jacksonville, voodoobrewingco.com
Craft beer and classic pub fare will be on tap when Voodoo Brewing Co. comes to San Marco Square. The Pennsylvania-based craft brewery will span two stories totaling 8,646 square feet in a 99-year-old building overlooking historic Balis Park. Voodoo is known for its brews Good Vibes (West Coast IPA), Oh Mama (lager), Voodoo Love Child (fruited Belgian tripel), Where Our Secrets Go (Imperial Stout), Empty Calories (American light lager), Lacto-Kooler (berliner weisse) and other seasonal offerings. The restaurant’s classic pub fare, which varies slightly from one location to another, includes pizzas, burgers, salads, wraps, and sandwiches as well as mac and cheese, mussels, wings and more.
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant
10601 San Jose Blvd., Jacksonville, chwinery.com
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant, the Napa Valley wineries-inspired concept that offers a tasting room, full-service restaurant and market as well as its own wine club with more than 500,000 members, is planning a second restaurant in Jacksonville, this one in Mandarin at the Whole Foods- and Kirkland’s Home-anchored Mandarin Landing, according to documents filed with Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Cooper’s Hawk’s menu features Shrimp & Scallop Risotto, Filet Mignon, Parmesan-Crusted Mahi Mahi, Cooper’s Hawk Chicken Giardiniera, and more along with more than 50 of its own wines. The chain made its Jacksonville debut in 2015 at Markets at Town Center.
Rodrigo's Craft Pizza
1029 Park St., Jacksonville, rodrigoscraftpizza.com
Rodrigo's Craft Pizza, a family-owned pizzeria offering artisan "Neo-Neapolitan style pizza" as well as pasta and other homemade Italian specialties, is coming to Jacksonville's Five Points. Serving lunch and dinner, the restaurant will focus on handcrafted fresh-from-scratch pizzas featuring mozzarella cheese made in-house and seasonal ingredients. In-house-made pasta dishes, along with calzones, salads and more, also will be featured on the menu, owner Alex Rodriguez told the Times-Union. The pizzeria is replacing Crane Ramen, which closed in November 2022 after four years.
Vincenzo's Cucina
3787 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, vincenzoscucina.com
A St. Johns County husband and wife hope to open Vincenzo's Cucina by the end of January or by early February. The Italian restaurant will offer freshly made-from-scratch pizza as well as pasta, salads, sandwiches and ultimately seafood. It also will have a bar. Located in the Publix-anchored Shoppes at Palm Valley shopping center, the restaurant will have about 100 seats, Elaine Grande, co-owner with her husband, Vincenzo, told the Times-Union. Vincenzo's Cucina will be open for lunch and dinner.
Tony's Cantina Mexican Grill
10131 San Jose Blvd. No. 12, Jacksonville, tonyscantinamexicangrill.com
Tony's Cantina Mexican Grill headquartered in Rock Hill, S.C., plans to open at Crown Point Plaza retail center in Mandarin. The restaurant will be the small chain's first in Northeast Florida and first outside of South Carolina. A Nov. 7 city building permit lists the restaurant at a total 5,235 square feet. It is going into the space that previously housed Jumpin' Jax House of Food and before that, Red Elephant Pizza. The Rock Hill restaurant's online menu lists classic Mexican fare such as tacos, fajitas, burritos, empanadas and nachos. A variety of margaritas and other cocktails are offered.
Cataluna
8206 Philips Highway, Unit 39, Jacksonville, catalunalounge.com
Promising to be the first of its kind in Jacksonville, Cataluna Lounge & Tapas plans to offer Mediterranean, Spanish and Italian cuisine as well as hand-crafted cocktails, wine and live music. Cataluna's decor is intended to be distinct with chandeliers, original artwork and plants. The furnishings range from modern tables and chairs to banquette seating and chaise lounges, according to images posted on the restaurant's social media pages. The roughly 6,000-square-foot restaurant with an outside patio is in the space formerly used by Mojitos Caribbean Cuisine Bar and Grill.
Slim Chickens
Glen Kernan Park and 1550 Edgewood Ave., Jacksonville, slimchickens.com
Another newer fast-casual chicken chain, Slim Chickens, is planning its first two Northeast Florida restaurants — one on Jacksonville’s Southside and another in North Jacksonville, according to plans filed with JEA. The 20-year-old, Fayetteville, Ark.-based chain is known for its chicken sandwiches and wraps, chicken tenders and wings and chicken and waffles paired with a choice of 17 house-made sauces. Its menu also features a variety of Southern-inspired sides and a selection of milkshakes and jar desserts — layered with cake, pudding or whipped cream and served in a Slim Chickens mason jar.
Chick-fil-A
Atlantic North retail center, Jacksonville and 463915 SR 200, Yulee, chickfila.com
Following post-pandemic improvements to the drive-thrus to improve capacity and reduce wait times at several of its Jacksonville-area restaurants, Chick-fil-A is proposing two drive-thru-only restaurants in Northeast Florida — one in East Arlington and another in Yulee. Each restaurant would be able to accommodate 40 or more cars in its dual drive-thru.
Cigars International
4808 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville, cigarsinternational.com
Though not a restaurant, Cigars International promises to be a unique addition to the St. Johns Town Center area. Plans show a 6,621-square-foot retail store with a 2,140-square-foot outdoor seating area next to Diamonds Direct and near Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and Fogo de Chao Brazilian Steakhouse. In addition to a selection of more than 1,300 different cigar brands, Cigar International superstores typically feature a full-service bar and lounge, all set in a building designed to resemble a classic tobacco barn. The store’s bar offers a variety of liquors, craft cocktails, beers, Bloody Marys, wines and coffee beverages.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: New restaurants opening in Jacksonville, St. Johns County in 2024
