Angie’s Subs in Jacksonville Beach is expanding and will open in Atlantic Beach in the first quarter of 2025.
Owner Ed Malin is taking over the former T-Dub’s space at 299 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 1, in the same building as A+B Kitchen, Homespun Kitchen and Ragtime Tavern.
Malin, 58, worked 10 years tending and managing the bar at Ragtime. He also ran a charter fishing business.
He was a longtime customer of Angie’s at 1436 Beach Blvd. Not only did he like the sweet iced tea, but he’d buy sandwiches for his charter customers.
When he heard that Angie’s was for sale, Malin and his wife, Kristan, thought it would be a way to give him a day job. He bought the restaurant in 1999 and kept the name and much of the menu. The previous owners had served pizza as well but he took it off the menu.
Angie’s might be considered the Beaches' sub shop. Regulars – and there are many – often order the same sandwich and sit in the same spot, Malin said.
Former Jacksonville Mayor John Delaney is such a customer. He always orders the Philly cheesesteak sandwich, Malin said.
“I tell him that I’ll buy him a Peruvian if he would just try it. He’ll tell me that he’s eating a Philly and he is not changing.”
The Peruvian sub, made with ham, Genoa salami, bacon, Italian sausage, provolone and a Peruvian sauce, is the shop’s most popular sandwich. It accounts for 25% of Angie’s sales.
Angie’s Subs opened its second location in February at Jacksonville International Airport. It is in Concourse A past the security gate.
Malin was looking for a new location in the Gate Parkway area and thought he found a spot, until he heard about the Atlantic Beach space becoming available.
Malin grew up in Palm Valley. He is the sort who knows everybody. When Malin heard T-Dub's – a clothing store with a speakeasy in the back – was closing, he knew the building manager, called, and a lease deal was quickly signed.
The Atlantic Beach Angie’s will feature much of the same menu, but because he is building a hoodless kitchen, he’ll be unable to serve french fries and other fried foods. He expects to reduce the menu some because of those limitations and offer sides like black beans and yellow rice and more salads.
“What the airport taught me is there’s a lot of new technology in commercial kitchens. It has come a long way in the last 10-to-15 years. There’s lots of ventless technology now.”
The new space is 2,100 square feet and will seat 52 customers. He is keeping the speakeasy space and will use it for dining. There are plans for a small stage.
He will have three full-time and between 15 and 20 part-time workers. Most of his staff are high school and college students.
Permitting has stalled initial construction. The Town Center area where Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach meet has several restaurants but not a lot of parking. Coming up with 14 parking spaces required by the city proved to be a time-consuming effort.
The landlord reconfigured the small parking lot in the back and increased the parking for bicycles to meet code.
The project is being built by Jade Blue Sky Construction of St. Augustine with a budget of $250,000. Again, Malin knows everybody. Bill Morton, president of Jade Blue Sky Construction, was the one-time owner of Ragtime.
The delay did prove advantageous because Malin used that time to attend restaurant auctions to buy equipment at a discount.
Angie’s has what Malin calls a “garage sale atmosphere.” There are stuffed animals, pictures, large knickknacks throughout the restaurant. That same look will be part of the new Angie’s. The decor will favor old surfboards, tools and some taxidermy.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, Malin considered expanding the Jacksonville Beach Angie’s and increasing the menu to include barbecue. However, those plans have been set aside. But something else came out of the pandemic. Angie’s started closing on Sundays and he retained the six-day-a-week schedule.
“It has helped me tremendously with hiring and retention of staff,” he said.
“Being closed on Sunday means a weekend day off. In this industry, that is pretty rare unless you work for Chick-fil-A.”
Last year, he entered a licensing agreement with HMS Host for the Angie’s at JIA.
“The only thing I control at the airport is the menu,” Malin said.
“They buy my bread, my mayonnaise, my salami, my ham, my roast beef. They have to adhere to our specs. As far as making an Angie’s subs, they handle everything else. Sales-wise, it’s fantastic. It’s great. If I can do that in Atlantic Beach, I’ll be happy.”