What appears to be the first new Duval County Dairy Queen in nine years is in review for Mandarin.
And the franchisee is targeting Downtown Jacksonville as well.
“Jacksonville is a dynamic market, very vibrant,” said Toks Achebe, a partner in franchisee CrossRoads Portfolio Inc., on June 12.
That includes the city core.
“We are looking at Downtown. Dairy Queen needs to be in Downtown Jacksonville,” Achebe said.
The 86-year-old Dairy Queen company — home of soft-serve ice cream cones, Dilly Bars and other novelties, burgers, chicken baskets and drinks — “is the American culture,” Achebe said.
“So you want to be able to be in place like Downtown Jacksonville,” Achebe said, where customers can “walk down the street and grab you a Blizzard.”
Downtown Jacksonville “is prime” and now is the time “to get in,” he said.
Achebe did not specify a potential location Downtown to provide the Blizzard Treats, a DQ best-seller introduced 41 years ago made of dense soft-serve and mix-ins like Nestle Drumstick and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup pieces.
“We are scoping around. Dairy Queen is solidly behind us,” Achebe said.
Mandarin
In Mandarin, a closed Burger King at 11031 Old St. Augustine Road is in review for conversion into Dairy Queen Grill & Chill. The site is west along Old St. Augustine Road, north of Interstate 295.
City utility JEA is reviewing a service availability determination request for the 2,873-square-foot restaurant, which was built in 1990 on almost an acre.
VDM JackJax LLC of Orlando owns the property, which it bought in June 2025 for $1.55 million. The company is part of Vision Development and Management LLC, a commercial real estate developer.
CrossRoads Portfolio Inc., which does business as Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, is the applicant for the project. CrossRoads is based in Kennesaw, Georgia.
A JEA availability request means a project is being explored.
DairyQueen.com shows nine locations in Baker, Clay, Duval and Nassau counties.
Six operate in Duval County, with five in Jacksonville and one in Jacksonville Beach. They were built between 1960 and 2017, with the oldest built in Jacksonville Beach and the newest in Bartram Village.
There is one each in Baker, Clay and Nassau counties.
In a recent closure, Dairy Queen shut down its Arlington store at 5947 Merrill Road, which was built in 1974 near Jacksonville University.
Achebe said that depending on permits, construction could start in Mandarin in time for an October opening.
Achebe is CEO and co-founder of CrossRoads Portfolio with Wanda Davis. They are leasing the site from VDM.
“It’s a very dynamic area and a very good location for a DQ,” Achebe said, citing the high traffic count and minimal competition for beef, burgers and ice cream in the immediate area.
Plus, any competition would have to contend with DQ’s history. Minneapolis-based International Dairy Queen Inc. is the parent company of American Dairy Queen Corp. and Dairy Queen Canada Inc.
IDQ develops, licenses and services more than 7,800 DQ restaurants in more than 20 countries. It is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., the international holding company chaired by investor Warren Buffett.
A prototypical site
Mandarin will be Davis and Achebe’s second Dairy Queen site. The first is in Alachua County, near Gainesville.
Achebe said they also franchise with Captain D’s and Zaxby’s, but this will be the first venture in Jacksonville.
“As part of the allure, the beauty of that spot is there is no close Dairy Queen,” Achebe said.
The nine area DQs are in north, northwest, south and west Jacksonville as well as Jacksonville Beach; Fernandina Beach in Nassau County; Glen St. Mary in Baker County; and Orange Park in Clay County.
The nearest to the Mandarin address is about 5 miles southeast in Bartram Village.
Achebe said the site will be a prototype, including a drive-thru, patio and digitized ordering.
DairyQueenFranchising.com says Grill & Chills feature a modern open-air design, separate “Grill” and “Chill” kitchens, booths and large gathering tables, music and warm lighting as well as an outdoor patio.
“It is more up to date, more the Gen Z environment,” Achebe said. “Moving forward, anything DQ builds is going to be the latest prototype.”
Achebe did not have an estimated construction cost because bids are coming in.
He said CrossRoads ideally prefers a stand-alone restaurant because it provides more space. But in-line and endcap spaces — within or at the ends of shopping centers — can make sense in Florida because of land costs.
Higher land costs mean a tougher time making a profit, so smaller spaces within buildings can be more manageable.
“We are a QSR, so we can’t jack up our prices,” Achebe said of quick-service fast-food restaurants.
At Dairy Queen’s price points, there is no flexibility.
“You go with what keeps you afloat,” Achebe said.
He said the Mandarin store hours could be 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. or later, possibly midnight.
CrossRoads said it would fill 65-70 jobs.
Envisioned for a year
Plans for the Mandarin DQ have been swirling for a year. VisionDandM.com posted June 16, 2025, that it closed on the purchase of 11031 Old St. Augustine Road.
“This former Burger King will soon be home to Dairy Queen,” it posted.
The site said Nick Barbato, vice president of Equity Investment Services in Oviedo, and Tracy Ahearn, vice president of Murphy Land & Retail Services Inc. in Jacksonville, worked on the lease. It posted that Daniel Gonzalez and Levi Veleanu of Matthews Real Estate Investment Services in Tampa brokered the purchase.
About Grill & Chill
DairyQueenFranchising.com says Dairy Queen launched the DQ Grill & Chill concept in 2002, with more than 2,000 locations now.
QSRmagazine.com reported May 27 that IDQ announced a franchise incentive to drive growth by rewarding franchisees who meet agreed‑upon opening timelines for freestanding DQ Grill & Chill restaurants, including second-generation drive-thru conversion buildings and new builds.
“When we open, we want the community to support us,” Achebe said.