Did You Know These 5 Companies Started in Jacksonville?

Which companies can you think of that started right here in Jacksonville?

Winn-Dixie is probably the name that immediately comes to mind. That’s fair — the chain did indeed begin here, and it continues to be headquartered here to this day through its parent company, Southeastern Grocers.

But some others might surprise you. We’ve put together a quick list of five companies that you might not have known are actually from Jacksonville.

Bubba Burgers

Frozen burger company Bubba Foods began in 2000 with its now-popular Bubba Burgers. In the years since then, the brand has expanded to include several varieties of flavored burgers, as well as turkey and vegetarian patties. Once seen only in nearby grocery stores, the brand is now available nationwide.

The company even briefly attempted a run at becoming a restaurant chain, opening and closing four Jacksonville locations within a year.

Bubba Foods remains in Jacksonville to this day, with their headquarters on the outskirts of Avondale.

Burger King

The company now known internationally as “Home of the Whopper” began as a burger joint on Beach Boulevard in 1953.

The first location of what would become known as Burger King was opened in 1953 by Keith J. Kramer and Matthew Burns. They had the patent for a super-efficient way of cooking burgers, which they called the “Insta-Broiler.” As a result, they named their new restaurant “Insta-Burger King.”

They branched out from there, but the company struggled and eventually moved to Miami six years later. Its original location at 7146 Beach Boulevard is now home to the popular local eatery Stan’s Sandwich.

Web.com

The billion-dollar company now known as web.com began as Website Pros Inc. during the dot-com bubble in 1999. The company went public in 2005, and it acquired several smaller tech companies including Atlanta-based web.com. The newly-formed company took on the web.com name and remained in Jacksonville.

In 2018, the company was acquired by Siris Capital Group, LLC for $2 billion. Despite the acquisition, web.com appears committed to staying in Jax, having recently moved into the newly-built Town Center Two office building.

GATE

A lot of locals are unaware that gas and real estate conglomerate GATE Petroleum originated here.

Founder Herb Peyton opened his first gas station in 1960. The company’s website states that Peyton named it GATE because, at the time, the city’s slogan was “Gateway to Florida.”

The company expanded rapidly during the ’80s, expanding into real estate and other ventures. It now owns several of the country clubs in Jacksonville, along with several parcels of land in Duval and St. Johns counties.

The company remains an active member of the Jacksonville community, sponsoring the yearly GATE River Run as well as forming the GATE Foundation to benefit local causes.

Firehouse Subs

This is one that should be on-par with Winn-Dixie, but you’d be surprised to learn that some Jacksonville residents don’t know that sandwich chain Firehouse Subs originated here.

The sub spot began in 1994 with a location along San Jose Boulevard. The brand has since exploded, growing to over 900 locations around the country. They’ve been particularly aggressive with expansion in the past five years.

The company maintains its headquarters on Kori Road in Mandarin.