Five New Restaurants Coming to Town Center
Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen plans to join the Jacksonville food scene with their first location in the region. They plan to open at the proposed Strand development, at southwest St. Johns Town Center Parkway and Big Island Drive, in late 2017. Currently, their closest location is in Daytona Beach.
Cheddar’s is a privately owned restaurant, which was founded by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers in 1979. They are based out of Irving, Texas, and operate approximately 165 restaurants in 29 different states.
Their menu is influenced by the “scratch” in their name: they make everything by hand. They offer a little bit of everything: chicken, burgers, fish, salads, soups, and an array of hand-crafted margaritas and cocktails. Some of their popular dishes include New Orleans Pasta (shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, peppers, onions, and penne tossed in a Cajun Alfredo), and their chicken fried steak.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.cheddars.com
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill intends plans to open a 6,500-square-foot restaurant at The Strand development by late 2016. This 225-seat restaurant will be their first location in the Jacksonville area.
Firebirds is based in Charlotte, where it first opened up at the turn of the millennium. Now, there are nearly 40 restaurants in 15 different states. The company prides itself on maintaining a “scratch kitchen” style, meaning that everything is handmade daily. As the name implies, they also prepare their dishes on a wood-fired grill.
They offer lunch, dinner, and gluten-free menus, as well as menus that cover a large selection of cocktails. Signature items of theirs include a lobster spinach queso, pecan encrusted trout, Kobe beef meatloaf, and prime rib. They also make their own pineapple vodka.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.firebirsrestaurants.com
Piada Italian Street Food
Another restaurant proposed for the Town Center Promenade development is Piada Italian Street Food. Piada plans to open its first Jacksonville restaurant in early 2017.
This restaurant is fairly new—its first location opening in 2010. The idea for the restaurant was inspired by founder Chris Doody’s trip to Rimini. He wanted something similar to the family-operated street carts that decorated the streets of Italy. Thus, the fast-casual atmosphere of Piada was born. Since then, they have opened over 20 restaurants in 5 different states.
Their menu features “piadas,” which are wraps that are stuffed with fresh ingredients, hand-rolled, and then baked on a stone grill. They also offer pasta bowls, chopped salads, and seasonal entrées.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.mypiada.com
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Red Robin will make its debut in Jacksonville as early as spring next year. They will be one of many tenants going in to the new Town Center Promenade, which will be located across the street from the St. John’s Town Center.
Red Robin began as “Sam’s Tavern” in the 1940s. The owner, Sam, sung in a quartet band and constantly whistled the old tune “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along.” He eventually changed the name of the little Seattle restaurant to “Sam’s Red Robin.” George Kingen bought the restaurant for expansion in 1969, dropping the “Sam’s” from the name. He built the company up for the next 10 years and finally, he franchised it in 1979.
Red Robin serves up all sorts of food, but they are most popular for their burger selection. Their menu features “Gourmet Burgers” and “Tavern Burgers.” They have regulars like your standard cheese burger or a bacon cheeseburger, but they also dish up unique burgers such as the A.I. Peppercorn (bacon, melted pepper-jack, peppercorn spread, onion straws, and tomato), the Prime Chophouse (horseradish-sautéed mushrooms, steak sauce, provolone, Dijon, and onion straws), and the Nacho Crunch Tavern Double (onion, tomato, pepper-jack, tortilla chip strips, and a cheddar cheese sauce made with lime, chile, and creamy ranch). They offer a veggie burger, and a turkey burger, too, for patrons who aren’t a fan beef.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.redrobin.com
Texas de Brazil
Texas de Brazil will also be gracing Jacksonville with its presence, sometime in the spring of next year. This Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouse will occupy approximately 7,000 square-feet in the upcoming Town Center Promenade.
Texas de Brazil began as an idea in a cattle rancher’s mind out in Brazil. The traditional, “rodizio” style of feasting was something that the family wanted to bring to the U.S. So, they decided to open up in no other place than Texas, opening their doors for the first time in 1998. Within the year, they were expanding.
This restaurant offers a unique dining experience—they have a self-service “salad bar-like” area with over 50 different items, including appetizers, veggies, soups, and salads. There is a “place card” on your table that, when flipped to green, invites the “carving” staff to your table, where they serve up various cuts of seasoned beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and Brazilian sausage right off the skewer. Of course, this is all accompanied by traditional side items and house-baked Brazilian cheese bread.
For more information, you can visit their website at www.texasdebrazil.com
Article by Kristen Pickrell
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen plans to join the Jacksonville food scene with their first location in the region. They plan to open at the proposed Strand development, at southwest St. Johns Town Center Parkway and Big Island Drive, in late 2017. Currently, their closest location is in Daytona Beach.
Cheddar’s is a privately owned restaurant, which was founded by Aubrey Good and Doug Rogers in 1979. They are based out of Irving, Texas, and operate approximately 165 restaurants in 29 different states.
Their menu is influenced by the “scratch” in their name: they make everything by hand. They offer a little bit of everything: chicken, burgers, fish, salads, soups, and an array of hand-crafted margaritas and cocktails. Some of their popular dishes include New Orleans Pasta (shrimp, chicken, smoked sausage, peppers, onions, and penne tossed in a Cajun Alfredo), and their chicken fried steak.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.cheddars.com
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill intends plans to open a 6,500-square-foot restaurant at The Strand development by late 2016. This 225-seat restaurant will be their first location in the Jacksonville area.
Firebirds is based in Charlotte, where it first opened up at the turn of the millennium. Now, there are nearly 40 restaurants in 15 different states. The company prides itself on maintaining a “scratch kitchen” style, meaning that everything is handmade daily. As the name implies, they also prepare their dishes on a wood-fired grill.
They offer lunch, dinner, and gluten-free menus, as well as menus that cover a large selection of cocktails. Signature items of theirs include a lobster spinach queso, pecan encrusted trout, Kobe beef meatloaf, and prime rib. They also make their own pineapple vodka.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.firebirsrestaurants.com
Piada Italian Street Food
Another restaurant proposed for the Town Center Promenade development is Piada Italian Street Food. Piada plans to open its first Jacksonville restaurant in early 2017.
This restaurant is fairly new—its first location opening in 2010. The idea for the restaurant was inspired by founder Chris Doody’s trip to Rimini. He wanted something similar to the family-operated street carts that decorated the streets of Italy. Thus, the fast-casual atmosphere of Piada was born. Since then, they have opened over 20 restaurants in 5 different states.
Their menu features “piadas,” which are wraps that are stuffed with fresh ingredients, hand-rolled, and then baked on a stone grill. They also offer pasta bowls, chopped salads, and seasonal entrées.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.mypiada.com
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers
Red Robin will make its debut in Jacksonville as early as spring next year. They will be one of many tenants going in to the new Town Center Promenade, which will be located across the street from the St. John’s Town Center.
Red Robin began as “Sam’s Tavern” in the 1940s. The owner, Sam, sung in a quartet band and constantly whistled the old tune “When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin’ Along.” He eventually changed the name of the little Seattle restaurant to “Sam’s Red Robin.” George Kingen bought the restaurant for expansion in 1969, dropping the “Sam’s” from the name. He built the company up for the next 10 years and finally, he franchised it in 1979.
Red Robin serves up all sorts of food, but they are most popular for their burger selection. Their menu features “Gourmet Burgers” and “Tavern Burgers.” They have regulars like your standard cheese burger or a bacon cheeseburger, but they also dish up unique burgers such as the A.I. Peppercorn (bacon, melted pepper-jack, peppercorn spread, onion straws, and tomato), the Prime Chophouse (horseradish-sautéed mushrooms, steak sauce, provolone, Dijon, and onion straws), and the Nacho Crunch Tavern Double (onion, tomato, pepper-jack, tortilla chip strips, and a cheddar cheese sauce made with lime, chile, and creamy ranch). They offer a veggie burger, and a turkey burger, too, for patrons who aren’t a fan beef.
For more information, you can visit their website at: www.redrobin.com
Texas de Brazil
Texas de Brazil will also be gracing Jacksonville with its presence, sometime in the spring of next year. This Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouse will occupy approximately 7,000 square-feet in the upcoming Town Center Promenade.
Texas de Brazil began as an idea in a cattle rancher’s mind out in Brazil. The traditional, “rodizio” style of feasting was something that the family wanted to bring to the U.S. So, they decided to open up in no other place than Texas, opening their doors for the first time in 1998. Within the year, they were expanding.
This restaurant offers a unique dining experience—they have a self-service “salad bar-like” area with over 50 different items, including appetizers, veggies, soups, and salads. There is a “place card” on your table that, when flipped to green, invites the “carving” staff to your table, where they serve up various cuts of seasoned beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and Brazilian sausage right off the skewer. Of course, this is all accompanied by traditional side items and house-baked Brazilian cheese bread.
For more information, you can visit their website at www.texasdebrazil.com
Article by Kristen Pickrell