JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – For the past 12 years, Hamburger Mary’s has been a staple in the Jacksonville community.
The entertainment restaurant brought drag shows to a new audience, creating a culture of acceptance for those who attended. Whether you went one time or a dozen, you’ll never forget the experience you had a Hamburger Mary’s.
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But things are about to change for the restaurant.
On April 12, the property of Hamburger Mary’s, located at 3333 Beach Blvd., was sold for $875,000, according to property records on the Duval County Property Appraiser’s website. The previous owner of the property, Vincent M. Paul Jr., sold the property to St. Nicholas Liquors LLC. St. Nicholas Liquors LLC is owned by the business trio, Preston, William, and Phyllis Waldrop. The trio also owns and manages Locals Bar & Package, located at 1216 Kings Ave., and St. Nick’s Lounge, located at 3116 Atlantic Blvd.
According to building permits, the new owners of the property on Beach Boulevard are looking to remodel the former site of Hamburger Mary’s into a new restaurant and bar. The remodeling is set to cost $600,000. Islands Architecture and Design, LLC, located in Ponte Vedra, is serving as the architect of the project. There are no details known regarding the new restaurant and bar.
News4JAX reached out to Preston Waldrop regarding details of the new restaurant and bar. While Waldrop had “no comment at this time,” he does say to “check back in about 30 days.” That could signal a potential announcement regarding the future of property on Beach Boulevard.
Gary Motes was one of the original franchise owners and he told News4JAX that his daughter took over the franchise in 2019.
The Jacksonville Hamburger Mary’s location has been closed since October. The building was completely destroyed in an electrical fire reportedly caused by one of the main panels. Irreplaceable memorabilia and letters that people sent to them about how the restaurant’s shows changed their lives were all lost in the fire. Fortunately, no one was injured.
A GoFundMe was set up shortly after the fire to support the restaurant’s employees. The GoFundMe ended up raising $4,975. There were other fundraisers that raised hundreds more for employees. It is unclear how much each employee was able to benefit from the fundraising efforts.
Back in October, Motes said he planned to reopen Hamburger Mary’s, but there was no timetable for return. Upon visiting the website for the Jacksonville Hamburger Mary’s location, a message saying “Hamburger Mary’s is currently closed due to a fire. We are not accepting reservations. Stay tuned for info on our re-opening!”
News4JAX reached out to Hamburger Mary’s corporate about the future of the Jacksonville Hamburger Mary’s location. They sent this statement:
“Unfortunately, we don’t have anything new to share, other than we are currently working with some people who want to reopen [Hamburger Mary’s] at a new location. But we’re still looking for the right spot.”
On Sept. 13, the new owner of the Jacksonville Hamburger Mary’s franchise reached out to News4JAX. They said they found a new location for the franchise and are in the process of signing the lease. They said they would be able to provide more details once the lease is signed.
According to Hamburger Mary’s website, there are currently 10 other locations, including one in Orlando. The company previously operated locations in Daytona Beach, Clearwater, Ybor City, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg, and Brandon.
The company has faced backlash from state leaders, leading to creation of an anti-drag show law. The law would punish venues for allowing children into what it called “adult live performances.” Though the law did not specifically mention drag shows, the sponsor of the legislation, Republican Florida Sen. Clay Yarborough, said it was aimed at those performances. The law was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17, 2023.
Venues violating the law faced fines and the possibility that their liquor licenses to be suspended or revoked. Individuals could be charged with a misdemeanor crime.
The Hamburger Mary’s location in Orlando challenged whether the law was constitutional. The restaurant’s owner claims the law was overly broad, written vaguely and violated First Amendment rights. In November, The Supreme Court ruled that Florida could not enforce the law while a court case proceeds.