Le Petit Paris Cafe is working on its fifth area restaurant, this one in Ponte Vedra Beach.
The Atlantic Beach-based French cafe will lease a 2,846-square-foot space in Tournament Plaza at 830 Florida AIA N. in Ponte Vedra Beach. Landlord Sleiman Enterprises shows the restaurant in suites 4-6 on a site brochure. It is adjacent to Dogbeach Dog Resort.
Owner and founder Alexander Chezaud opened the first Le Petit Paris in 2019 at 9925 San Jose Blvd., Suite 46, in Merchant Walks in Mandarin.
The second opened in 2021 at 363 Atlantic Blvd. in the Shoppes of Northshore in Atlantic Beach, and the third opened in 2023 at 7111 Bentley Road, Suite 1, near Philips Highway and Butler Boulevard.
The fourth opened early this year at 14474 Beach Blvd. in Intracoastal Plaza at San Pablo and Beach boulevards.
The fast-casual cafes open at 8 a.m. daily and close at 5 p.m., although the lepetitparisjax.com site shows hours are to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday in Atlantic Beach.
The breakfast, brunch and lunch menu includes salads, French baguette sandwiches, quiches, croissants, breakfast egg sandwiches, pastries, fruit salad and granola.
The cafes also have coffees, juice, teas, sparkling water, beer and wine.
Jacksonville Beach-based Strategic Sites Clifford Commercial broker-owner Kate Clifford and Retail Sales Associate Clay Weaver represented Chezaud in the lease negotiations in Ponte Vedra Beach as well as the Beach Boulevard site.
Could open in March
Clifford said Oct. 15 that the Tournament Plaza project is in for permitting and is expected to open in 120 to 150 days, which would be in March.
She said the site is next to the Veranda office building, south of the Sawgrass Village shopping center.
“The product offering is a great addition to the existing restaurant landscape in Ponte Vedra,” Clifford said by email.
“I am confident that the proximity to the Veranda, PGA Tour Headquarters, the Marriott Sawgrass and the Village in combination with the discerning demographics of the Ponte Vedra Community will make this a winner.”
She said other additions to the Ponte Vedra food scene in recent months include The BoatHouse, which opened in the spring; and The Local and the Ponte Vedra Wine Bar and Restaurant, which opened this month.
Clifford said the Black Pearl Japanese-Italian fusion concept is scheduled to open this month in the Ponte Vedra Pointe Shopping Center.
Clifford said her group also represented Chezaud in leasing additional space in the Shoppes of Northshore for his new commissary and bakery.
“Le Petit Atelier is a modified retail variation of the concept and will also serve as a commissary for his expansion,” she said.
Weaver said it could possibly open in November.
Clifford said her team is looking for several more sites for Le Petit Paris, including Downtown Jacksonville.
In a 2023 report, Chezaud told the Daily Record he was born and raised in Paris. His mother is American. While in Paris, she bought Florida property in St. Petersburg, where his younger sister moved.
When his sister decided to open a cafe, Chezaud agreed to come to Florida for six months to help establish it. His background was in upscale dining and hotel restaurants.
While working with his sister, Chezaud met his future wife while she was in dental school. Upon her graduation, they moved to Jacksonville to be closer to her family.
Status in Ponte Vedra Beach
Chezaud registered My Paris Ponte Vedra LLC with the state on March 4, 2025, to do business at 830 Florida A1A N., Suites 4-6, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Chezaud is the manager and registered agent.
The project is in several stages of county approval.
St. Johns County issued a permit Oct. 7 for a new roof at a cost of $196,560. McCurdy-Walden Roofing LLC of Orlando is the contractor.
Separately, the Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley Architectural Review Committee is reviewing its signage, including the design and size.
Le Petit Paris is requesting a nonzoning variance to allow an advertising display area of 37.8 square feet instead of the 24 square feet allowed within the Palm Valley Overlay District.
Ponte Vedra-based Kelly Varn of Taylor Sign and Design is the designer. The committee meeting is Oct. 22.