River Restaurant Group Opening New Concept in St. Augustine

A brand new restaurant called Saint is preparing to debut this year in St. Augustine , located at 44 Avenida Menendez.

This will be River Restaurant Group ‘s third concept, following River & Post in Jacksonville and River & Fort in St. Augustine, according to signage on the property. Owners Bob Fleckenstein and Jeff McCusker recently submitted a plan review application to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, hoping to open the restaurant by the end of the year . Customers can expect plenty of Italian food within a 12,000-square-foot space featuring a courtyard and rooftop dining area.

This will be an excellent location for Saint, which is moving into one of the county’s oldest buildings. The new restaurant will also be down the street from its sister restaurant, River & Fort, located at 12 Avenida Menendez, which had its second anniversary earlier this year. In addition to sitting in a historic neighborhood with plenty of foot traffic, Saint will see plenty of customers coming from the two adjacent hotels, Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront and The Pirate Haus Inn.

This is a massive achievement for McCusker and his River Restaurant Group, which opened River and Post in 2017 and River and Fort in early 2022. The restaurant group currently employs around 270 people, and by the time Saint opens, McCusker estimates that number will be around 400. If Saint is anything like the company’s first two concepts, customers should expect some delicious food matched with an incredible view.

Keep up with What Now Jacksonville’s restaurant, retail, and real estate scoop by subscribing to our newsletter , liking us on Facebook , and following us on Twitter . Opening a restaurant? Browse our Preferred Partners .