In a swift series of closures, the final three Pollo Tropical locations in Jacksonville have shut their doors, leaving the city without a presence of the once-popular Miami-based chain famous for its citrus-marinated chicken and a variety of Latin-inspired dishes. First Coast News reported that the shuttering of these corporate-owned outlets happened this past Saturday without prior announcement to the public.
The unexpected closure appears, 16 months after Fiesta Restaurant Group, the chain's parent company based in Dallas, was sold to New York holding company Authentic Restaurant Brands, a division of Garnett Station Partners, LLC. This abrupt move affected stores at 730 Skymark Drive, 4863 Gate Parkway, and 10989 San Jose Blvd, leaving employees and customers in limbo. The Jax Daily Record noted that even though the windows have been covered, and signage removed, the Pollo Tropical website lists these outlets as merely "temporarily closed."
Records from the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulations, accessed by First Coast News, show that these locations had been active for well over a decade, with the River City Marketplace restaurant opening in May 2012, and the others following in the subsequent years. Small signs at these restaurants expressed gratitude to their customers and apologized for the inconvenience caused by the sudden closures.
Interestingly, the chain has more than 140 locations spread across Florida, Texas, Alaska, and also operates internationally in various regions including the Caribbean and South America. Following the acquisition, a spokesperson for Authentic Restaurant Brands conveyed optimism about the future trajectory of Pollo Tropical. "The transaction validates the actions we have taken to position Pollo Tropical in our markets, enhance the guest experience and improve performance across our footprint," the spokesperson said in an August 2023 report by Jax Daily Record. Garnett Station Partners is known to hold several other restaurant brands under its wing, including Primanti Bros., PJ Whelihan’s, and Mambo Seafood.
As of now, Authentic Restaurant Brands has yet to issue a statement on the Jacksonville closures. Customer service representatives for Pollo Tropical confirmed the closures but did not provide details on the reasons behind this decision. The community, employees, and regulars of the beloved chicken hub are thus left to speculate, as the company's representatives have been silent beyond acknowledgment of the immediate situation.
