Conversion of the closed Pollo Tropical in Regency Park into Panda Express Chinese Kitchen can start now that the city issued a permit Aug. 21 for the almost $1.27 million project.
Candito Construction Corp. of Acworth, Georgia, will retrofit the closed Pollo Tropical into a 3,785-square-foot Panda Express at 9370 Atlantic Blvd.
Plans indicate 68 inside seats and a drive-thru, but no outdoor seating.
CPH Inc. of Sanford is the civil engineer and CPH Inc. of Tampa is the architect.
The Ferber Co. announced Jan. 30 that Panda Express Chinese Kitchen will lease the former Pollo Tropical site in the Regency area of Arlington.
Ferber, which owns the property, said it expected Panda Express to open this year in the building it will lease and renovate.
Ponte Vedra Beach-based Ferber said it bought the property from Pollo.
Duval County Clerk of Courts records show that Ferber, through 2024 Beacon Point Jax LLC, paid $2 million for the property Jan. 24 in a purchase from Pollo Operations Inc. of Miami. Cogent Bank of Miami financed the deal with a $1.95 million mortgage.
Ferber said that it sought to return Panda Express to the area after Pollo Tropical left the building in fall 2023.
Ferber said Panda Express had been in nearby Regency Square Mall and relocated in 2019 to the Atlantic North shopping center at northwest Atlantic and Kernan boulevards.
The Pollo Tropical location will be an additional store for Panda Express.
“This is the best stretch of road within the Regency trade area and one of the reasons we were attracted to this site,” said Ferber Executive Vice President Tom Mundy. Ferber is a privately held real estate development and investment company.
The address is between Southside Boulevard and Monument Road. The restaurant site is between Chick-fil-A and Chili’s and is near Starbucks, Panera and Chipotle.
JEA issued a service availability letter Nov. 29 for a 3,858-square-foot quick-service single-story restaurant and drive-thru at 9370 Atlantic Blvd., where Pollo Tropical was built in 2015.
Miami-based Pollo Operations Inc. bought the almost 1-acre property in February 2015 from Hess Retail Stores LLC. It had been a Hess gas station.
Duval County property records show Pollo Operations sold the site in September 2020 to B&P Realty and Management LLC and Lenlo Realty LLC, both of New York City, but bought it back Sept. 25, 2023, for $2.4 million.
Pollo Tropical Citrus Marinated Chicken has three locations in Jacksonville in Town Center, River City Marketplace and near Mandarin Corners.
Ferber said there are eight Panda Express locations in Jacksonville.
Another is proposed near Downtown. The city is reviewing a building-permit application for Panda Express to renovate the space in the Brooklyn area vacated in May by Bento Asian Kitchen & Sushi.
Candito Construction is the contractor for the estimated $500,000 project at 50 Riverside Ave. in Brooklyn Place.
Throughout Northeast Florida, Panda Express has at least 15 locations, including at the University of North Florida and at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport.
Rosemead, California-based Panda Restaurant Group is the parent company of Panda Express, a family-owned Asian dining concept.