Firehouse Subs, Burger King and more: Popular restaurant chains that began in Jacksonville

Jacksonville may not have a signature food, but it has produced some of the restaurant industry's biggest players, including Burger King and Firehouse Subs, and a couple of popular up-and-comers, Metro Diner and Maple Street Biscuit Company. Here's a look at five notable Jacksonville-based restaurant chains.

Burger King, Jacksonville (1953)

Two cities claim Burger King, but at least both are in Florida.

The fast-food burger franchise began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. Later that decade, two Miami-based franchisees bought the financially struggling company and renamed it Burger King.

The hamburger chain was on its way in 1957 when the Whopper was added to the menu. Burger King hit the national scene especially during the 1970s, when the chain advertised heavily on television with its "Have It Your Way" commercials that touted "hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, special orders don't upset us."

Children also enjoyed a visit to BK, receiving a paper crown that adjusted to their head size. And don't forget the funky maroon and orange uniforms (with a goofy-looking hat to match) employees wore in the 1970s, certainly helping to build its brand.

But it was perhaps its offering of flame-grilled burgers that kept customers returning, along with its variety of food offerings including thick french fries and the Hershey's Sundae Pie dessert.

In recent years, Burger King added the Impossible Whopper featuring a plant-based, protein-filled patty and four versions of the Ch'King Sandwich.

Burger King has more than 18,000 outlets in 100 countries.

— Dave Osborn, Naples Daily News

Hooters to Home of the Whopper: A look at popular restaurant chains that began in Florida

The Loop (1981)

Before fast-casual giants Panera, Chipotle, Panda Express and Five Guys entered the dining scene, The Loop Pizza Grill arguably launched the fast-casual concept in Jacksonville in 1981 when Mike Schneider and Terry Schneider opened their new restaurant in a small storefront in San Marco.

Serving mouth-watering burgers, pizzas, salads and shakes, The Loop Pizza Grill soon became a fixture in neighborhoods across Jacksonville.

In the years since, The Loop has expanded to college towns in North Carolina, growing to more than 20 locations at one point before settling at its current count of 16 restaurants, including the same San Marco storefront that opened 40 years ago.

— Gary T. Mills/Florida Times-Union

Metro Diner, Jacksonville (1992)

Credit Guy Fieri with giving Jacksonville-based Metro Diner a boost just when it was needed most. The first Metro Diner opened in Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood in 1992 in a location that had housed diners under other names since the 1930s and was taken over by its current management team in 2000.

But it was a 2010 appearance on “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” with Fieri raving about the “crunchification” of Metro Diner’s signature meatloaf, that brought national attention to the chain.

Metro Diners, known for its “comfort food with flair,” can now be found at more than 50 locations in 12 states, including 25 in Florida.

— Tom Szaroleta/Florida Times-Union

Firehouse Subs, Jacksonville (1994)

Chris Sorensen and Robin Sorensen were Jacksonville firefighters, just like their dad, when they opened their first Firehouse Subs location at Crown Plaza in suburban Jacksonville in 1994.

The chain, known for its tasty subs and firehouse-decorated restaurants, now has nearly 1,200 locations in 46 states, including about 170 in Florida. In a 2016 interview with CNBC, Robin Sorensen said he and his brother had less than $100 in their checking accounts when they opened their first restaurant.

They started the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in 2005 to provide funding, equipment and education for first responders.

On Nov. 15, 2021, the company announced it would be acquired by Restaurant Brands International Inc. in a $1 billion deal,

— Tom Szaroleta/Florida Times-Union

Maple Street Biscuit Company (2012)

A year after Gus Evans and Scott Moore launched their first restaurant in Jacksonville’s San Marco Square, Florida Trend named Maple Street Biscuit Company one of the state’s best new restaurants of 2013.

A year later, the pair opened their fifth Maple Street in Northeast Florida.

And now, less than a decade since serving its first biscuit, the restaurant now has 45 locations spread across eight states following its 2019 acquisition by Cracker Barrel for $36 million.

With its "Southern comfort food with a modern twist" concept, Maple Street Biscuit Company offers a menu largely based on homemade biscuits and all-natural fried chicken breast, topped with ingredients like pecan bacon, fried goat cheese medallions, sausage gravy, collard greens, fried eggs and house-made pepper jelly.

"Comfort food is something you've had and liked," Moore told the Times-Union in 2014. "The modern twist is 'Yeah, I've had that, but I've never had it like that before.' People have had a biscuit with jelly, but have they had it with goat cheese?"

— Gary T. Mills/Florida Times-Union

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: 5 popular restaurant, fast-food chains that began in Jacksonville, Fla