Another beloved restaurant is shutting down its operations.
Jenkins Quality Barbecue, a beloved Jacksonville, Florida, fixture for 68 years, is set to shut down all three of its locations and its online store as of September 30.
It is the latest in a string of restaurants to announce closures amid high food prices and a decline in consumer spending on dining out.
Established in 1957, the venue welcomed diners with its distinctive yellow-painted walls and red mansard roof. The mouthwatering meats were prepared over an open brick pit, sending smoke from the chimney.
Jenkin’s menu features low-priced barbecue classics: $8.50 chicken sandwiches, a $30 slab of ribs, and $7.25 for Pork on a bun.
The restaurant gained fame for its dishes topped with their famous hot mustard sauce, nestled in a seeded bun. In 2023, Food Network recognized it as the premier barbecue spot in the state.
But recent Google reviews have not been as kind.
“This was a fantastic place back in the day,” commented one reviewer, giving a two-star rating. “I tried Jenkins again but wasn’t impressed. I even gave my sandwich to stray cats.”
The iconic restaurant drew in well-to-do crowds – Sen. John Kerry stopped by the shop during his failed Presidential bid
Jenkins Quality Barbecue announced plans to shut down its stores by the end of the month
Jenkins is also closing its online shop, where it shipped its sauces.
The company currently sells pint-sized bottles and half-gallon jugs of its BBQ sauce.
But the last day for online orders is Sunday, September 21.
‘We appreciate your loyalty over the years, and we will miss you,’ the company wrote in a farewell post on Facebook.
‘We look back not with heaviness, but with our hearts brimming with gratitude.’
This announcement comes amid a challenging period for many well-known dining establishments, prompting bankruptcies, widespread closures, and workforce reductions.
Brands like Red Lobster, Hooters, TGI Fridays, On The Border, Roti, and Bertucci’s, popular among middle-income consumers, have all declared bankruptcies in the last couple of years.
Meanwhile, giant fast-casual chains like Sweetgreen, Cava, and Chipotle have all announced lower sales numbers than expected.
It’s been a difficult year for restaurants – they’ve been fighting through higher food prices, increased wages, and a drop in sales
Some shops have done well by focusing on low-price promotions and classic meals
The restaurants are largely facing two major strains: increased costs and lower customer traffic.
Monthly inflation rates are starting to increase again, after customers fought through 9 percent price hikes in 2022.
That baked-in food inflation had already made running a restaurant significantly more expensive.
Now, with food prices ticking up again, companies are concerned it will continue to hurt their bottom line.
But two restaurants have somehow ridden the wave of uncertainty to banner sales: McDonald’s and Chili’s.
The golden arches reported a major sales increase after launching price-cutting promotions on their iconic products, like the $5 meal deal.
Chili’s, meanwhile, has leaned heavily into price-slashing options, like $11 burgers and value meals. The company just reported a 24 percent jump in sales.
