2 Fast Food Stores That Served A Florida Community For Nearly 40 Years Abruptly Close Doors

Photo byYusuf EvlionUnsplash

Florida has a couple of well-known restaurant brands that are based in the Sunshine State. One example is Bloomin' Brands, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse. But another, lesser-known example is Burger King, which began in the 1950s in Jacksonville under the name Insta-Burger King.

After the invention of the Whopper, Burger King began to expand and it currently has over 575 stores in Florida, the most of any other state. Burger King is headquartered in Miami-Dade County.

However, earlier this year, Burger King announced that it would be shuttering 400 stores before the end of 2023. That announcement came after Burger King had already shuttered 124 stores earlier this year.

Restaurant Brands International Inc. CEO Joshua Kobza told the South Florida Business Journal that the stores slated to close throughout the country were "underperforming."

That statement might possibly offer a clue as to why two Florida Burger Kings recently closed their doors with little warning.

Two Jacksonville stores that had been community staples for around 40 years recently ceased doing business. The Florida Times Union reports that the State Street location in downtown Jacksonville as well as the location on Kings Road both shut down, indicated by the homemade signage placed on both restaurants.

Both restaurants are reportedly operated by the same franchise owner, who has not commented. Nor has Burger King.

Reassuringly, Restaurant Clicks has written that Burger King itself isn't expected to close anytime soon, due to several recent successful campaigns that have increased revenue.

And Burger King isn't the only fast food joint to close stores. McDonald's has also shuttered some underperforming stores this year.

Yelp reviews are not kind to the State Street location that just shut down. It gets 1.5 out of 5 stars. While a few complimented the staff, many complained about long wait times, poor customer service, and cleanliness issues. Here is a review that demonstrates that sentiment:

"The art of customer service is dead here. The order is taken half-heartedly, and then you're asked to repeat the entire order because they aren't listening to you...I won't be returning to this location, ever."

The Kings Road location scores a bit better, with 2 out of 5 stars on Yelp. One person complimented the French toast sticks, but many had issues with customer service and wait times. One reviewer wrote:

"Why is this location still in business(?) On every occasion I have visited either out of bread, out of sausage, (or) out of napkins. (I'm) out of patience with them. The customer service is lacking professionalism as well. It's sad that the businesses in our community fail to meet the minimum standards of other businesses outside the community."

Of course, the above is not proof that either store was underperforming, and Restaurant Brands International beat estimated earnings in the third quarter of 2023.

The author is not affiliated with Burger King, McDonald's, or any other restaurants.