Days before Christmas, Calico Cactus owner and founder Scott Moore intends to open the breakfast-lunch taco restaurant in Murray Hill on Dec. 22.
Moore said the soft opening is Dec. 20 at the remodeled restaurant at 1171 Edgewood Ave. S.
“We are positioning it as a Christmas gift,” Moore said Dec. 13.
Moore previously anticipated a Dec. 1 opening.
“(It) took longer than we wanted, but we have all our permits and our Certificate of Occupancy,” he said.
The store is completed and Amanda Urbizu, Calico Cactus director of mission and model, is hiring and training staff. Moore said they want to hire 30 people.
The city issued a permit Oct. 22 for Kaneco Construction LLC of Atlantic Beach to renovate the former Maple Street Biscuit Co. restaurant at a project cost of $218,678.
The restaurant is 4,393 square feet.
Maple Street closed June 15.
The opening of Calico Cactus is a coming home for Moore, who founded and sold Maple Street Biscuit Co., and is taking the space for the second location of the Tex Mex restaurant, which focuses on soft tacos, queso and coffee.
The first opened Jan. 14, 2025, in St. Augustine.
Moore said in May 2025 the 10-year Maple Street lease in Murray Hill was expiring in August and the landlord asked if he was interested in taking the space. The lease had been amended and extended.
“Of all the places to go, that place is just really special.”
Moore launched Maple Street in 2012 in San Marco. The Murray Hill restaurant was its fourth location.
He said there will be 86 seats and a pickup window on the side for mobile orders and online food delivery services. He is setting up a few bistro tables on the side of the building.
Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Moore said Calico Cactus will open the pickup window 5-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
“We are calling it our Nite Nite Burrito Window and we have a limited menu with four grilled burritos, chips and queso and bottled drinks,” he said.
Moore said the space has a second kitchen, which will allow him to set up a catering service for Jacksonville.
It’s also a coming home for Urbizu, who had been Maple Street’s community leader in Murray Hill.
“She will come up here and get this one going and get the team going,” Moore said previously.
Moore opened his first Calico Cactus in a former Tijuana Flats restaurant at 833 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd. along the San Sebastian River in St. Augustine. The location seats 82 people inside and 24 on the patio. There is no drive-thru.
The menu
Open for breakfast and lunch, Calico Cactus is fast-casual, where guests order at the front counter, take their seats and food is delivered to the table.
The menu and other information is at calicocactus.com.
Moore has added items based on customer input that include Pancake Tacos; Tumbleweed Tots, which are stuffed fried hash browns; and energy-infused refreshers.
Workers make the flour tortillas throughout the day. Soft corn tortillas also are available.
The menu focuses on soft tacos for breakfast and lunch with chips and dips, sides, salads, bowls, kids’ meals and sweet treats.
Moore said the tortillas, salsas and sauces are made from scratch. A salsa station allows customers a choice of mild, medium and hot sauces or mix the options to their tastes.
A barista-staffed coffee bar features coffee and tea, espresso drinks and lattes, and agua frescas, limeade and more.
There are mimosas; bottled and canned drinks that include beer and a margarita; sweet tea; chocolate milk; and the energy frescas.
The recap
Moore, his co-founder, investors and store leaders sold Maple Street Biscuit Co. in 2019 to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. for $36 million.
He started the concept to sell biscuit sandwiches and coffee.
After a noncompete period following the sale to Cracker Barrel, Moore settled on Calico Cactus as his next concept.
Moore said he and the Calico Cactus partners, including some former Maple Street investors, want to open several locations and then start franchising.