A Kennesaw-based franchise group wants to bring a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill to Mandarin by converting the closed Burger King on Old St. Augustine Road, and the owners say they are already eyeing downtown Jacksonville for what could come next. The plan would reuse the freestanding building just north of I-295 and, if the paperwork moves quickly, the restaurant could be ready for an October opening. The operator estimates the Mandarin spot would create about 65 to 70 jobs.
Operator voice and city review
Toks Achebe, CEO and co-founder of CrossRoads Portfolio Inc., told the Jacksonville Daily Record that "Jacksonville is a dynamic market, very vibrant," and confirmed the group is "looking at Downtown" for additional Dairy Queen locations. According to the report, city utility JEA is reviewing a service-availability determination for a conversion at the Mandarin property, a routine early step for projects that may require new or upgraded utility connections.
Site and sale details
The proposed site is the former Burger King at 11031 Old St. Augustine Road, a roughly 2,873-square-foot building constructed in 1990 on about an acre of land. Duval County property records list the owner as VDM JackJax LLC. Real estate listings and sales data show the property sold in June 2025 for about $1.55 million, a price point that helps explain why repositioning the site for a high-traffic quick-service tenant would be appealing to the owner and leasing team.
Who’s behind the franchise
CrossRoads Portfolio Inc., which operates Dairy Queen restaurants, is based in Kennesaw, Georgia, and is led by partners Toks Achebe and Wanda Davis. The team already runs a DQ Grill & Chill near Gainesville and has experience with other restaurant brands. Local coverage of their Alachua opening has detailed the group’s approach to buildout and staffing. As reported by the Alachua Chronicle, the owners focus on community connections and growth through multiple units.
DQ’s growth play
Dairy Queen has been pushing its DQ Grill & Chill prototype as the main vehicle for expansion, describing it in Dairy Queen franchising materials as a modern, open-air format that uses separate "Grill" and "Chill" kitchens, along with booths, large communal tables and outdoor patios. In late May, the brand rolled out a new development incentive program that offers qualifying franchisees a $150,000 cash payment for on-time openings of freestanding Grill & Chill locations. The incentive, outlined in a company press release on PR Newswire, is expected by industry watchers to help accelerate conversions of existing drive-thru buildings into Dairy Queen sites.
What happens next
The timing for the Mandarin project hinges on JEA’s availability review and the broader city permitting process, which will determine whether CrossRoads can stick to its hoped-for schedule. CrossRoads told the Jacksonville Daily Record that, depending on how permits and construction bids shake out, work could begin in time to open by October, with staffing projected at roughly 65 to 70 employees.
