The last three Pollo Tropical restaurants in Jacksonville abruptly closed leaving Northeast Florida without any locations of the Miami-based quick-service chain known for its 24-hour citrus-marinated chicken and other Latin-inspired dishes.
The closures come 16 months after the chain’s parent company, Fiesta Restaurant Group of Dallas, was acquired by Authentic Restaurant Brands (ARB), a holding company of Garnett Station Partners, LLC, a private investment firm headquartered in New York.
The doors were shuttered, windows covered over, and signage stripped away Saturday at the corporate-owned restaurants at 730 Skymarks Drive in River City Marketplace, 4863 Gate Parkway at the Markets at Town Center, and 10989 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin.
The River City Marketplace location was licensed in May 2012, the Markets at Town Center in November 2010 and the Mandarin location in September 2011, according to Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulations (DBPR) online records.
Small signs taped to the glass front doors of the former Mandarin restaurant stated it was closed permanently, thanked customers and apologized for any inconvenience.
“We appreciate our loyal guests. It has been a pleasure to serve you over the years … Thank you for your understanding,” read the signs on Pollo Tropical stationery.
A Pollo Tropical customer service center worker on Saturday confirmed the closures — telling the Times-Union that the restaurants closed late last week. No explanation was available for the closures.
Monday afternoon, a company spokesperson emailed a statement to the Times-Union regarding the restaurant closures.
“Through the normal course of business, we continually evaluate our portfolio to ensure our restaurants have the resources to achieve their growth potential. After careful consideration, Pollo Tropical made the decision to close our three Jacksonville restaurants and focus on higher growth markets in Florida,” the company said.
Pollo Tropical once operated 5 restaurants in Jacksonville
Established in 1988, Pollo Tropical offers interpretations of traditional Cuban and Latin American cuisine. In addition to its citrus-marinated chicken, the restaurant chain is known for its slow-roasted mojo pork and black beans and rice, according to the ARB website.
Pollo Tropical once had five Jacksonville restaurants dating back to 2010, DBPR records show.
Previously closing were Pollo Tropical locations at 9370 Atlantic Blvd. in Regency Park in 2023, and 13776 Old St. Augustine Road at the Shoppes at Bartram Park in 2021.
Panda Express is taking over the approximately 3,800-square-foot Regency Park building. It is undergoing alterations and repairs at an estimated cost of $1,266,183, an Aug. 21, 2024 city building permit shows. No opening date has been announced for the new Panda Express, which is between Chick-fil-A and Chili’s Grill & Bar near Regency Square Mall.
Pollo Tropical purchased in a $225 million acquisition
Saying it focuses on “iconic regional food and beverage brands,” ARB acquired Fiesta Restaurant Group for $225 million in a purchase completed in October 2023.
ARB also owns Primanti Bros. Restaurant & Bar, P.J. Whelihan’s Pub + Restaurant and Mambo Seafood, according to its website.
“Our distinct vision for Pollo Tropical is to amplify the fundamental aspects of the brand that customers love and expand its capabilities to deliver high-quality, affordable food in a casual setting,” ARB chairman Alex Macedo said in a news release distributed by Business Wire announcing the completion of the acquisition.
Macedo also said that ARB’s experience would be an asset to Pollo Tropical.
“ARB’s extensive knowledge of regional restaurant markets and expertise in growing local brands will be crucial in developing and cultivating Pollo Tropical as a leading restaurant concept,” he said in the news release.
The company says on its website that since acquiring Pollo Tropical, it has streamlined restaurant operations resulting in “enhanced speed-of-service and achieved best-in-class guest net promoter scores.”
ARB also says the chain’s late-night customer visits have increased 70% “year over year by providing the best quality, freshest available food served until midnight.”
In addition, the company says on its website that Pollo Tropical has 125 Florida locations. Most are listed in the South and Central portions of the state.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
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: Pollo Tropical abruptly closes its last three Jacksonville restaurants
Reporting by Teresa Stepzinski, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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