They brought Canopy Road Cafe to Jacksonville. Meet their new breakfast restaurant concept
This story first appeared in Dining Notes, the free weekly restaurant newsletter from the Times-Union's Gary Mills delivered to your email inbox each Wednesday. Subscribe now.
Five years ago, brothers Nick and Zachary Presti brought Tallahassee-based breakfast concept Canopy Road Cafe to Jacksonville, opening their first restaurant in the Bayard area.
In 2021, they added a second restaurant in Saint Johns.
With a third Canopy Road Cafe planned for Mandarin this summer, the Presti brothers this week debuted their own breakfast concept, EggBoy, in Atlantic Beach.
Specializing in breakfast sandwiches with names like S.E.C, Arlington and Hen House, EggBoy’s menu also features lunch sandwiches and more, all made from scratch, including fresh-baked bread from Jacksonville Beach’s Cinotti’s Bakery.
The fast-casual restaurant at 1241 Mayport Road is the first location of what the brothers envision as their own unique contribution to the fast-growing breakfast restaurant business that has exploded in the last decade, including Metro Diner and Maple Street Biscuit Company, both of which were founded in Jacksonville, and Grumpy’s Restaurant, which has grown to five restaurants in recent years from its start in Orange Park.
“Our vision for EggBoy is to bring something new and unique to Jacksonville that can be replicated and set up for growth in the future,” the brothers said in a news release. “Through our experience in operating Canopy Road Café, we saw that breakfast sandwiches ranked as one of the most ordered menu items, and realized the potential in what we could bring to the market.”
Joining the brothers in the new concept is Brad Buckenheimer, CEO and co-founder of Canopy Road Cafe.
“I have known Nick and Zach now for many years and the two of them are like family to us. ... They’ve undoubtedly poured their heart and soul into not only the success of Canopy Road Café, but also in assisting with the innovation, development and creation of EggBoy,” Buckenheimer said.
Brunch, please! Popular Beaches restaurant brings eclectic menu, drag shows to Springfield
Eggs Benedict, mimosas and more: Favorite brunch spots in Jacksonville
On the menu at EggBoy
Executive Chef Ben Gaugush has crafted a menu of elevated breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Highlights include:
B.E.C ($7.95): Applewood smoked bacon, over-medium eggs, sharp cheddar, catch-up sauce, served on a toasted brioche bun
S.E.C. ($8.49): Maple pepper sausage, soft scrambled eggs, American cheese, honey dijonnaise, served on a toasted brioche bun
Arlington ($11.50): Lemon sage turkey sausage, soft scrambled eggs, lemon-dressed arugula, avocado smash, caramelized onions, Swiss cheese, honey dijonnaise, served on a jumbo English muffin
Hen House ($11.95): Hand-breaded chicken breast, over-medium eggs, pepper jack cheese, dill pickles, served on a toasted brioche bun with a side of country gravy
Smash Burger ($10.49): Ground chuck and brisket blend, caramelized onions, dill pickles, American cheese, bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, catch-up sauce, served on a toasted brioche bun
The Debutante ($11.50): House-made egg salad, applewood smoked bacon, sliced tomato, bibb lettuce, honey dijonnaise, served on a brioche bun
Fried Chicken BLT ($12.95): Hand-breaded chicken breast, Swiss cheese, applewood smoked bacon, bibb lettuce, sliced tomato, avocado smash, buttermilk ranch, served on a brioche bun
Chopped Cheese ($13.50): Chopped smash patty, marinated mushrooms, caramelized onion, roasted peppers, American cheese, catch-up sauce, served on an amoroso roll
Also on the menu are Avocado Toast ($11.95); Breakfast Poutine ($13.95), made with beer-battered spiral fries, Wisconsin cheese curds, applewood smoked bacon, over-medium eggs, country sausage gravy and chives; and Shipwrecked Benny ($13.95), made with beer-battered spiral fries, black forest ham, over-medium eggs, lemon-dressed arugula, creamy hollandaise and chives.
EggBoy operates out of a 1,200-square-foot space at the Shoppes of A1A North retail center, home to Bones Pizza, Reve Brewing Company and Grey Matter Distillery. The restaurant is open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Support from readers like you makes our coverage of Jacksonville's growing dining scene possible. If you're not already a digital subscriber, now is a great time to support local journalism. Here's how to subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Breakfast restaurant EggBoy opens in Atlantic Beach
