After nearly 40 years, 2 Jacksonville Burger King locations abruptly close

Dating back nearly 40 years, a pair of Jacksonville fast-food burger joints have closed abruptly — joining the growing list of local restaurants shuttering their doors this year.

Closed were Burger King restaurants at 210 E. State St. downtown and at 1981 Kings Road near Edward Waters University in the New Town neighborhood.

Both restaurants were neighborhood links in the Burger King chain rooted 70 years ago in Jacksonville.

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Neither the State Street nor Kings Road franchise operator — listed as Lee Wesley Restaurants LLC of Orlando on Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) records — could be reached for comment immediately. Officials with Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the corporate parent of Burger King, also could not be reached for comment immediately.

Both locations were listed as "closed" on the RBI website showing 20 Burger King restaurants in Jacksonville.

No reason for those closures has been announced.

However, RBI is likely to close up to 400 "low volume" Burger King franchises nationwide by the end of this year, CEO Josh Kobza said during the company's First Quarter earnings call in May, reported QSR magazine.

The two Burger Kings are the most recent restaurant closings this year in Jacksonville. Among the restaurants bidding farewell were Piccadilly Cafeteria on the Southside, three Jacksonville-area Bojangles locations, Black Sheep in Five Points and Cotten's Bar-B-Que in Arlington.

On Saturday, the closed State Street restaurant served as a makeshift parking lot for fans attending the Florida vs. Georgia football game at nearby EverBank Stadium.

Nearly three miles away at the Kings Road location, several cars pulled up, waited briefly at the drive-thru menu board before realizing the restaurant was closed and driving off.

Homemade "closed" signs were taped on the front doors or windows at each restaurant. At State Street, the towering monument sign announced: "CLOSED," while the Kings Road monument sign was blank.

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It's unclear when the State Street and Kings Road restaurants shut down.

However, an Oct. 4 social media post from a self-described customer said Oct. 6 would be the two restaurants' final day. Subsequently, Jacksonville Daily Record reported the downtown closure early last week.

The fast-food burger franchise began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Later that decade, two Miami-based franchisees bought the financially struggling company and renamed it Burger King, according to a 2021 Times-Union article.

The addition of the Whopper to the menu in 1957 fueled the popularity and expansion of the hamburger chain. Burger King took the national scene by storm, especially during the 1970s, when the chain advertised heavily on television with its "Have It Your Way" commercials that touted "hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us."

Times-Union writers Tom Szaroleta and Gary T. Mills and Dave Osborn of Naples Daily News contributed to this report.

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: Burger King closes 2 Jacksonville restaurants after nearly 40 years