Site work toward the area’s first Habit Burger & Grill is firing up at a former Bojangles that closed in June 2023 at 13559 Beach Blvd.
The HabitBurger.com site says the company began in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969 and “has been chargrilling California’s freshest flavors for over half a century.”
It says its menu features freshly chargrilled burgers, chicken and tuna “all cooked-to-order over an open flame.”
It also has salads and shakes.
The city issued a permit April 8 for landscaping for Habit Burger at the 3,875-square-foot freestanding restaurant and drive-thru it intends to renovate on a 0.83-acre site at northwest Beach and Hodges boulevards.
Site work carries a project cost of $10,000. The renovation is an estimated $750,000.
The contractor on the site work plan is Falcon Franchise Construction LLC of Fort Lauderdale.
The Beach Boulevard property owner is shown on a building permit site as JLR Hodges Station LLC. The architect is Lingle Design Group of Lena, Illinois.
Habit Burger & Grill, based in Irvine, California, said in November it is opening in Jacksonville in the second half of 2025 because the area’s food culture is growing, with an interest in comfort foods and innovative dishes.
That is “making it a welcoming spot for a Habit Burger & Grill restaurant,” the company said in an email.
“We’ve got Habit Burger & Grills sprinkled across the Sunshine State, and we’re pumped to fire up the grill in Jacksonville,” said chef Jason Triail, director of Culinary Innovation at Habit Burger & Grill, in an email Nov. 7.
Habit Burger said it will hire about 40 people.
There are 12 locations in Florida, mainly in South Florida with one in Largo, near St. Petersburg. The website shows a Clearwater location as coming soon.
The Jacksonville restaurant will be owned by the company and is not a franchise.
In March, a second Habit Burger & Grill was identified for Jacksonville at River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville.
The St. Johns River Water Management District received a pre-application March 10 for an environmental resource permit for “Habit Burger, Max Leggett.”
The site appears to be an almost 0.8-acre pad for lease next to the parking lot of BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse at 15022 Max Leggett Parkway.
BJ’s Restaurant Inc. of Huntington Beach, California, owns the site, which is at Max Leggett Parkway and Skymarks Drive. The property is east of Interstate 95.
Jacksonville Beach-based Florida Retail Group has been marketing the “surplus pad site” as available for lease, showing it can accommodate up to a 4,200-square-foot building. It is an outparcel of Parkway Shops and BJ’s Restaurant.
The size fits within Habit Burger’s dimensions.
Habit Burger did not confirm the North Jacksonville location, but said in a statement March 14 that it was “planning on opening another location in Q4 of this year.”
TSCG Senior Vice President Kelly Pulignano is representing Habit Burger in its North Florida expansion.
Asked in November whether more sites are in consideration in Northeast Florida, Habit Burger said it does not share expansion information.
Habit Burger was acquired by Yum! Brands Inc. in 2020. Yum! Brands also owns KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.
The menu shows its signature charburgers, including singles and doubles with or without cheese, a barbecue bacon and cheese burger, teriyaki burger, Impossible and portobello choices; sandwiches including chicken, ahi tuna, a veggie burger and grilled cheese; meals with fries and a drink; salads; bundles; kids’ meals; sides that include fries, sweet potato fries, crispy chicken bites, onion rings, tempura green beans; combinations, and side salads.
There also are drinks, shakes and sundaes.
The website says that Habit Burger operated more than 380 locations in 14 states and internationally. The largest number is in California.
As of June 30, 2024, the company owned 84% of the U.S. locations. It also franchises.