The closed Burger King at 11031 Old St. Augustine Road is becoming a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, and interior demolition can now begin.

Jacksonville issued an interior demolition permit Thursday, Aug. 20, at a project cost of $97,500 for the conversion, according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. The location, north of Interstate 295, appears to be the first new Duval County Dairy Queen in nine years.

Georgia-based franchisee CrossRoads Portfolio Inc. is behind the project. CEO and co-founder Toks Achebe, who runs the company with co-founder Wanda Davis out of Kennesaw, told the Daily Record in June that the Mandarin site's lack of nearby competition drew them to the location.

"As part of the allure, the beauty of that spot is there is no close Dairy Queen," Achebe told the Daily Record on June 12. The nearest existing location is about 5 miles southeast in Bartram Village, built in 2017.

The 2,873-square-foot building was constructed in 1990 on nearly an acre. CrossRoads is leasing the site from VDM JackJax LLC of Orlando, which purchased the property in June 2025 for $1.55 million. VDM is part of Vision Development and Management LLC, a commercial real estate developer that announced the purchase on June 16, 2025.

Champion Services of Florida LLC is the contractor handling the interior demolition. The city had already issued a $10,000 site-work permit on June 26 for tree replacement, and JEA issued a service availability letter on June 11.

What the restaurant will look like

The Mandarin location will be a prototype Grill & Chill featuring a drive-thru, patio and digitized ordering. Achebe told the Daily Record in June that the format targets a younger audience, calling it more modern and geared toward a "Gen Z environment."

CrossRoads told the Daily Record in June the restaurant would fill 65 to 70 jobs. Achebe said planned hours could run from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. or later, possibly midnight.

This is their first Jacksonville venture. Mandarin will be Davis and Achebe's second Dairy Queen; their first is in Alachua County near Gainesville. CrossRoads also franchises Captain D's and Zaxby's locations.

Timeline and what's next

Achebe said in June that construction could start in time for an October 2026 opening, depending on permits. The Aug. 20 permit covers interior demolition only; a full construction permit and confirmed opening date have not been announced.

Six Dairy Queen locations currently operate in Duval County. The chain recently closed its Arlington store at 5947 Merrill Road, which had operated since 1974. The Mandarin conversion would bring the county total back up and give the Old St. Augustine Road corridor a new drive-thru option where the Burger King sat empty.