Jacksonville restaurateur Mark Janasik’s Restaurant & Hospitality Investment Group (RHIG), the company behind Southern Grounds, Alder & Oak, Oaxaca Club and other concepts, is growing into one of Northeast Florida’s most prominent locally owned restaurant groups.
At a time when many restaurants are downsizing or closing, RHIG is adding new locations and concepts, including an Italian restaurant, underscoring its growing influence on Jacksonville’s dining scene and shifting how residents experience chef-driven, locally sourced food.
Founded in 2016 with a single Neptune Beach coffeehouse, RHIG now operates 14 restaurants and employs more than 500 people, with concepts ranging from fast-casual cafes to upscale dining spots, including The HUB, its multi-restaurant gathering space near downtown Jacksonville.
On any given day, guests sit down at an RHIG restaurant for a scratch-made breakfast, lunch or dinner, or grab a cup of freshly roasted coffee and a muffin, cookie, slice of cake, brownie or other sweet treat.
And new restaurants are on the horizon, Janasik, who founded and owns RHIG, told the Florida Times-Union.
“Our mission is to design experiences that bring people together, fostering connections through exceptional food and ambiance,” Janasik said.
The concepts differ but share a common foundation: “We try to cook real food that makes you feel healthier,” he said. “RHIG’s restaurants are deeply committed to supporting local farmers and producers, ensuring that every dish reflects both freshness and community pride.”
What’s next: RHIG’s new Italian restaurant and expansion plans
Alder & Oak, an Aegean-inspired modern Mediterranean restaurant including Zorbas rooftop lounge, is RHIG’s newest concept.
The first Alder & Oak anchors The HUB, where it’s garnering social media buzz as a “go-to” dining spot for a night out with dinner and drinks. Buildout of the second Alder & Oak is underway at Jax Beach Town Center in Jacksonville Beach — targeting a summer opening.
Next is Northern Italy. Already in the works is The Rosetta Room, offering “a modern interpretation of rustic coastal Italian dishes,” Janasik told the Times-Union. The Rosetta Room — like RHIG’s other concepts — is inspired by their travels.
“We recently returned from Bologna, Italy. It’s our kind of ode to boutique, soulful Italian experience. It will be fresh-made pasta, hand-rolled pasta,” said Janasik, noting that while in Bologna, the home of spaghetti Bolognese, they got a hands-on lesson in making traditional fresh pasta.
RHIG is scouting potential locations and fine-tuning the menu for The Rosetta Room. No opening timetable has been set.
“We don’t strive to be the biggest, only to be the most genuine. In the end, what defines this restaurant company is not its scale but its grounded spirit: to work hard every day and to create memories. To grow sustainably is to grow with gratitude,” Janasik said.
Which restaurants does RHIG operate in Jacksonville?
What began in 2016 with the original Southern Grounds — a small Neptune Beach neighborhood coffeehouse — has grown and evolved over a decade.
“Our spots — Alder & Oak, Southern Grounds, Blueberry Bakery, and Oaxaca Club — have grown steadily, not because we are flawless, but because we lean on what works: teams that feel like family, dishes that taste like home and are good for you, and keeping things real amid tough times,” he said.
RHIG now has 14 restaurants and 500-plus employees. Restaurant and hospitality veterans comprise its longtime core leadership.
“We have less than 15% turnover in a business that is 300% turnover. We have managers who have been with me since inception. We have hourly staff team members who’ve been with me since these concepts opened,” he noted.
RHIG’s restaurant concepts, from cafes to upscale dining
People, not numbers on a spreadsheet, define RHIG.
“For me, growth has never been measured in square footage or revenue, but in relationships, internal promotions and the dreams of our employees,” Janasik said.
Although he is the public face of the company, Janasik described his role as primarily a team builder.
“I think what I do best is building good teams who genuinely love hospitality. I find folks with heart, give them room to grow, and help them shine. I am lucky to have the team I have around me. They are truly the best. Every success we’ve achieved stems from their dedication, creativity, and care for every guest who walks through our doors,” he said.
He said RHIG “has always been a health-focused restaurant company.” Food integrity and food transparency are core company beliefs.
“We believe in organic, seasonal, locally sourced, chef-driven, and if we can, we will support the local farmer and keep the money in our local economy,” he said.
He said by sourcing seasonal ingredients directly from nearby farms, artisans, and fisheries, RHIG “celebrates the regional flavors that define its culinary identity but also strengthens the local economy and reduces environmental impact.”
In addition, the partnership with growers fosters transparency and sustainability, he said.
“No matter how big we become, our compass points home to the neighborhoods that gave us a start and the people who continue to believe in what we serve,” Janasik said. “Growth may change our footprint, but our heart remains the same: humble, local, and deeply connected to the communities that make us who we are.”
How Mark Janasik’s background shaped his restaurant approach
Janasik is the first restaurant professional in his family. His dad was an international business executive. His mom focused on “raising our family and creating a strong home for us,” he said.
Janasik grew up in a home “where food was tremendously important.” He also saw how “hospitality created joy.” Being part of the restaurant business, he said, is all he’s ever wanted to do.
Born in Singapore, he was 3 when their family moved to Ekali, Greece. Much of his childhood was spent on the coast, “where every meal was a story told in salt, smoke, and laughter,” he said.
“Summers meant long afternoons by the sea, the scent of oregano in the air, octopus crisping over a charcoal fire, friends and family gathered around a weathered oak table,” Janasik recalled.
Although he didn’t realize it back then, he said his childhood and youth spent sailing through the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean Seas with his family ultimately steered his course as an adult.
“I came to understand that food was the purest expression of place and people. My dad showed me a world I only read about in books. Each harbor had its own rhythm, each meal its own story of craft, generosity, and connection. Each person we met had their own story of why food was important to them,” he said.
His parents instilled an “unwavering belief in following your fire over fortune,” which ultimately shaped his decision to get into the restaurant business, he said.
“My dad’s philosophy of honest labor whispered that real success tastes like integrity. Mom’s kitchen hymns, stirring love into simple suppers, drilled authenticity deeper than any lesson I have ever received in a professional kitchen,” said Janasik, who was in high school when the family moved to the United States.
At 16, he got his first restaurant job — working as a host. His mentor back then was a longtime professional whose lessons, the 54-year-old Janasik said, he’s not forgotten.
“Good food fills the stomach, but great service nourishes the soul,” he said. “Picture the host who greets you by name after a long day, anticipates your party’s needs with a perfectly timed table, and turns a simple wait into a story worth sharing,” said Janasik, noting that at the time, he didn’t understand what he meant then, but those words “still sit with me today.”
A graduate of the University of Colorado in Boulder with a degree in environmental biology, he came to Jacksonville in 2005 with a Five Guys franchise group, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Janasik is not a chef. He calls himself a “generalist” who knows the restaurant business from cooking to buying ingredients, developing concepts and building “world-class hospitality teams.”
Why RHIG is growing while other restaurants struggle
The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart. Roughly 17% of restaurants fail during the first year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Thin profit margins, changing customer tastes, economic pressures, supply disruptions and staff shortages are common. In addition, delays in construction and licensing often take longer than expected.
Janasik said each concept presents its own challenges.
“Every one of our concepts, Alder & Oak, Southern Grounds, Blueberry Bakery, and Oaxaca Club, came with lessons we had to endure, humbling us along the way. We are still learning daily. Every shift, every missed opportunity to bring joy,” he said.
Authentic flavors reflect the source, culture and traditions
Respected, locally known chef Eddy Escriba is RHIG’s culinary director, overseeing all RHIG food programs.
Janasik handles concept development “with input from the team.” Concepts are fine-tuned with feedback from restaurant employees as well as guests, he said.
“I choose concepts that stir something in me — real stories from my travels, flavors that spark joy, fresh and seasonal food, and vibes that fit Jacksonville’s soul,” he said.
The RHIG team does the heavy lifting, he said.
“It’s about what my teams can pour heart into and what guests will return for, night after night, blending authenticity with a fresh twist that feels like home across Alder & Oak, Southern Grounds, Blueberry Bakery, and Oaxaca Club. Passion leads, but community fit seals it,” he said.
Hr said field research is crucial to the success of their restaurants. To ensure authentic flavors and cooking techniques, Janasik and his team travel to the source country — recently Greece and other Mediterranean countries, as well as Italy.
‘Gather together,’ more than just a tagline
“We wanted to create lifestyle brands around concepts of bringing people together,” he said of the tagline displayed prominently at all Southern Grounds cafes.
“Food should gather people, nourish communities, and always make you feel better, body, mind, and soul,” said Janasik, adding that is the benchmark of all RHIG restaurants.
And it all comes down to people, he said.
“For me, restaurateurs are here to nourish and nurture people,” Janasik said. “What makes me happy as an entrepreneur is to make the guest happy, and to make the community healthier.”
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Exclusive: How Mark Janasik is reshaping Jacksonville’s dining scene
Reporting by Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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By Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
