After a decade, Jacksonville gourmet burger joint shuts its doors at St. Johns Town Center

A hometown gourmet burger and milkshake joint is down to a single Jacksonville-area location after closing its high-profile restaurant at St. Johns Town Center on Sunday.

After a decade, M Shack at 10281 Midtown Parkway shut its doors permanently and is selling off its kitchen equipment and furnishings as it makes way for popular, nationally known rival Shake Shack. The closure comes as M Shack's lease expires at Town Center, restaurant employees told the Times-Union.

M Shack founders chefs Matthew and David Medure of Medure Brothers Culinary Concepts based in Jacksonville couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

The Town Center restaurant is the third M Shack location to close in recent years.

Vote now: Who has the best pizza in Jacksonville? Make your picks by 2 p.m. Thursday, March 21

In December 2019, M Shack closed its Five Points restaurant at 1012 Margaret St. after about four years. It was replaced by Another Broken Egg Cafe.

In September 2021, M Shack closed its original restaurant in Atlantic Beach at 299 Atlantic Blvd. after a decade in business. AB Kitchen later opened in the spot.

Remaining open is M Shack's Nocatee location at 641 Crosswater Parkway in Ponte Vedra Beach.

Closing is 'bittersweet'

Longtime employee Royce Fedd came in early Saturday morning to help get the restaurant ready to open on the day before it closed.

Describing himself as a "hospitality coordinator," Fedd has worked for the Medure brothers for just over 13 years. He started out working in their off-site catering operations before moving to M Shack, where he's been a mainstay at the Town Center location for the past few years.

As he set up the dining room tables and brewed fresh iced tea, the 55-year-old grandfather talked about what it means to see the restaurant close.

"It's kind of bittersweet for me … It ain't easy to leave," Fedd said.

Customers as well as co-workers have told him they're disappointed that the Town Center restaurant is shutting its doors.

"Everybody I talk to tells me they're disappointed … but I just tell them that when one door closes another door opens," he said.

Fedd said the Medure brothers have offered him and other M Shack Town Center employees jobs at the restaurant group's other concepts. Fedd said he expects to switch to Midtown Table, which is about 1 1/2 miles south of Town Center.

The restaurants comprising Medure Brothers Culinary Concepts are Matthew’s and Rue Saint-Marc, both in San Marco, M Brothers at Mayo and Zest both at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Restaurant Medure in Ponte Vedra Beach, M Shack Nocatee and Midtown Table near Town Center.

Coming soon: 25 new restaurants are in the works for the Jacksonville area in 2024. Here's a list

Shake Shack plans Jacksonville debut

When it opens, Shake Shack will join several other St. Johns Town Center restaurants known for their shakes, including BurgerFi (2014), Yard Milkshake Bar (2022) and Sugar Factory (2023).

Town Center will be Shake Shack's first location in Jacksonville as well as Northeast Florida.

Known for its fresh-never-frozen hamburgers, crinkle fries and signature shakes, the New York City-based fast-casual restaurant chain plans to open here this year, Shake Shack spokesperson Kate DeMarco previously confirmed to the Times-Union.

No opening date has been announced. Shake Shack officials couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

Shake Shack’s burgers are made from a blend of 100% Angus beef and include the original ShackBurger, a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato and “ShackSauce,” as well as the Avocado Bacon Burger, Smoke Shack (with applewood-smoked bacon, chopped cherry peppers and ShackSauce), Spicy ShackMeister (with a hot pepper blend, crispy onions, chopped cherry peppers and ShackSauce), ‘Shroom Burger, Veggie Shack and more.

Also on the menu are a selection of fried chicken sandwiches: the Chicken Shack, Avocado Bacon Chicken and the limited-time-offering Korean Style.

Good news for ButterBurger lovers: Another Culver's is in the works for Jacksonville

Its crispy crinkle-cut fries are available as Cheese Fries, Bacon Cheese Fries and Spicy Cheese Fries with Ranch, according to the menu.

Founded in July 2004, Shake Shack lists 21 Florida locations on its website with the closest restaurants to Jacksonville being in Orlando and Tampa. Overall, the restaurant chain had a total of 328 locations nationwide as of Dec. 16, 2023, according to the data research company ScrapeHero.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at [email protected].

If you're a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Shake Shack poised to replace M Shack at Jacksonville's Town Center