After less than a year in the Jacksonville market, Canopy Road Café is ready to expand.
The Tallahassee-based eatery has signed leases for two additional Jacksonville-area locations to open over the next two years: one at Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway in northern St. Johns County, not too far from Durbin Park, and one at the mixed-use Saltwater Row development in Neptune Beach. Both of the new locations will be slightly larger than the chain’s first Jax location.
The eatery, which serves modern diner fare, was founded in Tallahassee in 2007 and opened its first Jacksonville-area location earlier this year at the Shoppes of Bayard at 12525 Philips Highway. It has six locations, all in Florida. Jacksonville was the first market outside of Tallahassee in which the chain opened a location; it has since opened one store in Tampa as well.
“Northeast Florida has welcomed the Canopy Road Café concept with open arms since we arrived, and we are eager to bring our unique spin on breakfast and lunch fare to the St. Johns and Neptune Beach communities,” said Nick Presti, who serves as the company’s Northeast Florida operating partner along with his brother Zachary. “We immediately fell in love with the local Jacksonville community, and we are very thankful for their support to allow us the opportunity to grow.”
The Presti brothers estimate that 50 to 60 new local jobs will be created by the two additional locations. The Shoppes of St. Johns Parkway location is expected to open next spring, while the Saltwater Row spot will open in spring 2021.
