5 Great Locally-Owned Restaurant Chains

When the sale of Maple Street Biscuit Company to breakfast behemoth Cracker Barrel was announced last month, we couldn’t help but feel a little sad.

To be clear, we’re certainly happy for the chain’s owners, who got a well-deserved payday for their hard work in building their brand. It’s just unfortunate to lose another local favorite to a national corporation.

The news came around four years after fellow local breakfast chain Metro Diner sold 100% of its intellectual property to ConSul Hospitality Group.

Obviously, there is nothing wrong with national chains; Jax has plenty of them. But when a local restaurant manages to spin off successfully into multiple locations, it’s hard not to root for them to stay local and to retain that “Jacksonville charm.”

In light of that, here are five examples of locally-owned restaurant chains that – at least for now – have continued to be owned and operated in Jacksonville.

FIREHOUSE SUBS

The first entry on our list is a rather obvious one.

Since launching just over 25 years ago, Firehouse Subs has grown to become one of the Bold City’s most successful businesses of all-time.

The first Firehouse Subs location was opened in 1994 by former firefighters Chris and Robin Sorenson. By 1998, the company had already begun expanding outside of Florida and started franchising its concept. Today, Firehouse has almost 1,200 stores spanning 46 states plus Puerto Rico.

Through all its growth, the company has remained under the ownership of the Sorensen brothers. Its corporate office can be found within Flagler Center on the Southside.

AL’S PIZZA

Popular local Italian chain Al’s Pizza was founded in 1988 by Al Mansur, a New York-area transplant who came to Jax to start his own business.

Since launching over thirty years ago, Al’s has expanded to six area locations – plus one in St. Augustine. A seventh location in Mandarin closed around a year ago.

Mansur is also the mind behind Flying Iguana Taqueria & Tequila Bar in Neptune Beach and, most recently, Coop 303 Southern Bistro in Atlantic Beach. Coop 303 took over what was originally the first-ever Al’s location.

With over thirty years in Jax and an owner who is invested in the local community, Al’s is a fairly safe bet for remaining locally-owned.

BONO’S PIT BAR-B-Q

The oldest entry on this list, Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Q has been here in Jacksonville since 1949.

That’s when Lou Bono opened the first location of his barbecue restaurant along Beach Boulevard. Bono would add a second location prior to selling both locations to Joe Adeeb.

Under the leadership of the Adeeb family, Bono’s has since expanded significantly by way of franchising. It now has sixteen area locations – some company-owned, some franchised – as well as franchise locations in St. Augustine, Stuart, and even a single location in Denver, CO.

It remains based in Jacksonville.

The Adeeb family also owns Strings Sports Brewery in Springfield and co-owns another local franchise, Beach Diner.

BURRITO GALLERY

Tex-Mex (or “Jax-Mex,” as they call it) chain Burrito Gallery was launched in downtown Jacksonville in 2005 by Gallery Restaurant Group, which consisted of Paul Shockey, Eddy Escriba, Marco Monroy, and Tony Allegretti.

Allegretti is perhaps best-known locally as the mind behind the launch of the monthly Downtown Art Walk. Shockey, Escriba, and Monroy have since left the group and filed litigation against it. Escriba and Monroy now operate Taqueria Cinco in Five Points.

John Valentino, owner of The French Pantry, and Shawn Lednick have since joined the group.

The chain currently has locations in downtown Jax, Brooklyn, Jax Beach, and their most recent addition within Gateway Village at Town Center. Given its popularity, the chain will likely continue adding new locations locally.

Gallery Restaurant Group is headquartered in downtown Jax. In addition to Burrito Gallery, GRG also owns Uptown Market in Springfield.

M SHACK

Founded in 2011, all-natural burger-and-milkshake chain M Shack is a concept from Jacksonville-based brothers Matthew and David Medure.

The Medures are also the minds behind Matthew’s and Rue Saint Marc in San Marco, along with the upcoming Midtown Table near the Town Center.

Steven Schaeffer also serves as a managing partner for the chain.

In eight years of operation, M Shack has expanded to four area locations in Riverside, the Town Center, Atlantic Beach, and Nocatee.

Medure Brothers, its parent company, is headquartered in San Marco.