The Local restaurant is expanding into St. Johns County.
The county issued a permit Dec. 12 for the build-out at 226 Solana Road, No. 1, in Ponte Vedra Beach.
It is in the Winn-Dixie-anchored Ponte Vedra Square shopping center west of Florida A1A. The project cost is $500,000.
Jacksonville-based 3rd Little Pig Construction is the contractor.
The space was previously occupied by Woody’s Bar-B-Q, which closed Jan. 14, 2023.
The Local opened its first location in 2017 at 4578 San Jose Blvd. in Miramar and added a second location in 2019 at 301 Atlantic Blvd. in Neptune Beach.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, offering appetizers such as blue cheese chips, zucchini fries and ahi tuna nachos. Main menu items range from fish and steak tacos to higher-end offerings like ginger-wasabi encrusted haddock and shrimp avignon prepared with tarragon sauce and lemons.
The Daily Record reported Oct. 1 that The Local planned to add two locations. In addition to Ponte Vedra, it plans a location at 2216 Oak St. near Five Points in Jacksonville’s Riverside neighborhood. No permits have been issued for that site.
The Local is operated by Jacksonville-based Roost Restaurants, owned by Ted Stein and J.C. Demetree. Roost also owned Wonderbird, a chicken sandwich and tenders concept at 528 Beach Blvd. in Jacksonville Beach, which operated for about two years before closing in 2023.
According to thelocaljax.com: “Our roots are in Jacksonville, but we have found great inspiration by traveling the country and abroad. We have been fortunate enough to experience some truly unique cuisines and atmospheres around the world.
“We have since sought to bring different vibes back to our city and pair them with food and drinks that fit the different neighborhoods of Northeast Florida.”