Graffiti Junktion, with a Jacksonville Beach restaurant at 265 Fifth Ave. N., intends to take over space at 9703 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
Greg Peters, president of the Orlando-based venture, expects to open there about June 1 and is investing about $285,000 in renovations. It formerly was Steamin’ Jax.
“We are going to dazzle it up,” he said.
The Mandarin site will be the Orlando-based company’s 11th – with nine in the Orlando area and the one at the Beaches.
Peters, who is from Orlando, likes Jacksonville.
“I just love the energy and I love the people in Jacksonville,” he said.
Peters said Graffiti Junktion offers music and trivia, geared to customers who like to have fun.
Peters, 48, formerly was in the nightclub business but found that his new venture would be more conducive to family life. He has three children ages 9, 7 and 5.
He started the company in 2008 and opened in 2015 in Jacksonville Beach.
Peters likes Jacksonville so much that he said he is house-hunting at the Beaches.
PPD Construction Services Inc. is the contractor for the $117,000 renovation of the 2,704-square-foot space in Mandarin that includes a bar and patio seating.
Graffiti Junktion’s tagline is “American Burger Bar.” The menu is heavy on build-your-own burgers with choices of a base — burger, bison, chicken, turkey, veggie — as well as cheeses and toppings.
Menu items also include starters, salads, wings, wraps, sandwiches and more.
Its website says it serves 100 percent Angus beef burgers that are hormone and antibiotic-free “with just about any topping you could want.”
“Enjoy the hand-painted graffiti on the walls and tables by local artists,” it said.
Base burger prices on the online menu start at $5.50 to $12 with some toppings extra. Sandwiches range from $8.50 to $14.
Peters said Graffiti Junktion typically hires up to 15 cooks, 12 bartenders and 20 servers.
He asks that job candidates email him at [email protected] because he wants to start hiring for the Mandarin restaurant in two weeks.
Peters said he wants to open another four locations in Jacksonville and then start finding sites in Georgia.
He said he has looked at sites like Riverside and the St. Johns Town Center areas and will choose the next location as soon as he finds a good deal.
“Unless the rent makes sense, you don’t jump into it,” he said.
Peters said he also is looking at buying a couple pieces of property for development.
Jumpin’ Jax House of Food to open in May
Jumpin’ Jax House of Food applied for a permit to renovate space in the former Red Elephant restaurant at 10131 San Jose Blvd.
Build-out for the 5,210-square-foot restaurant is shown at $130,000. Howland “Howdy” Russell applied for a Certificate of Use at the site.
Russell said he targets May 1 for the opening, depending on the paperwork. Hours will be 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and 4:30-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
Its menu includes burgers, chicken, pizza, salads, wraps, rolls, hot dogs, a $4 kids’ menu, desserts and more.
It won’t have a bar, but it will carry beer and wine.
For customers who need to make a quick decision and dash, there will be a grab-and-go section.
Jumpin’ Jax will offer online ordering through its website, jumpinjaxhof.com, as well as Facebook and Google.
Russell said the casual counter service will be similar to The Loop and Maple Street Biscuit Co., whose founders he credits for his endeavor.
He gave a shout-out to Mike Schneider at The Loop, brothers Larry and Mitch Raikes at Larry’s Giant Subs, and Scott Moore from Maple Street Biscuit Co.
He said he met his group’s operating partner, Charles Moles at The Loop in 1990 and their other partner, Chris Fusco, in 1996 when he sold Fusco his first Larry’s Giant Subs. Fusco now has five.
“We have learned a ton from the successes and failures of these companies and others like Firehouse Subs,” Russell said.
Russell said he was director of operations for The Loop from 1990-93 and director of franchising for Larry’s Giant Subs from 1995-97.
He also knows Firehouse Subs leaders from his Loop days. “They have done a fantastic job of growing their concept smartly,” he said.
Howland said Jumpin’ Jax wants to be the neighborhood “house of food that people love and trust.”
“Our guests should feel special and glad they are here,” he said.
The website should be up this week.
Its Facebook page posted March 26 that the kitchen is ready for equipment, the dining room ceiling is done and sprinklers are reconfigured, among other work.
It said was “re-concreting” the dining room next.
Town Center update
• Texas de Brazil Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse applied for a permit to build its foundation in Town Center Promenade. The 6,600-square-foot restaurant is planned on 2 acres at 4634 Town
Center Parkway.
• The city approved construction of the shell structure for the PGA Tour Superstore at The Strand at Town Center. Hoar Construction is the contractor for
the building at 4906 Town Center Parkway, No. 300. The future tenant build-out will be sought separately.
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