More than five months after announcing plans for a brick-and-mortar restaurant, DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers is finally set to open its first permanent location.
The restaurant, located at 5141 NW 43rd St. near Cedar River Seafood, was originally expected to open in March, but co-founder Jose Nieves said the buildout took longer than anticipated as the owners encountered several unexpected challenges.
“When you sign a lease, your back is against the wall financially, so you want to get open on that new investment as quickly as possible,” Nieves said. “It’s our first go at building a brick-and-mortar. We did 90% of the work ourselves.”
Aside from electrical and plumbing work, Nieves said the owners handled most of the construction and finishing touches on their own.
The original food truck will remain at 5310 NW Eighth Ave. and continue operating there as its primary location except during special events, such as Florida Gators football games.
Speaking of football, DJ’s recently retired the name of one of its popular menu items, the “Lagway Burger,” after former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway transferred to Baylor University.
The burger has been renamed the “Texas Sweet Heat Burger,” though the recipe remains unchanged. It features double beef patties, cheese, mayo, bacon, charred jalapeños and cowboy candy, also known as candied jalapeños.
“It’s a play on the fact that you get spice from the charred jalapeños and sweetness from the cowboy candy,” Nieves said. “It was inspired primarily by DJ’s Texas roots, and we wanted to keep some originality with the name.”
DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers began as a pop-up operation on Nov. 28, 2020, founded by friends and co-owners Dan and Jose. Nieves previously told The Sun that the concept was inspired by chains such as Raising Cane’s, In-N-Out Burger and Chick-fil-A, with a focus on serving high-quality food through a limited menu.
As the restaurant prepares to open its doors, Nieves said several loyal customers volunteered their time to help complete the project, including one devoted foodie named Steven.
“He’s a regular, and when he made the offer, we said we could use the help,” Nieves said. “He showed up and helped with some of the painting. We have the best customers in the world. For people to want to get their hands dirty and help us make this dream a reality, we’re incredibly grateful and optimistic about the future.”
The new restaurant and food truck will operate from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and remain closed on Sundays.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Soft opening set for DJ’s Cast Iron Burgers in northwest Gainesville
Reporting by Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Elliot Tritto, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
