The restaurant said the rising costs of food and labor, supply chain issues and a shift in consumer trends went into their decision to close.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Longtime Jacksonville restaurant Jenkins Quality Barbecue will close all of its locations on Sept. 30, the restaurant announced in a Facebook post Tuesday.
The restaurant said in their post that the rising costs of food and labor, supply chain issues and a shift in consumer trends went into their decision to close.
“After 68 years of serving our Jacksonville community, we look back not with heaviness, but with our hearts brimming with gratitude,” the restaurant’s post states. “From all of us, we thank you. We appreciate your loyalty over the years, and we will miss you!”
The family-owned restaurant has three locations in the city: one on the Southside, one downtown and one on New Kings Road.
In addition to closing all of its locations, Jenkins Quality Barbecue also announced that they’ll be closing their barbecue sauce online shop. The restaurant urges customers to place orders for their sauce by Sunday, Sept. 21.
“We will only be selling pint sized bottles at this point,” the restaurant added.
And for customers with gift cards, Jenkins said to use them by Sept. 30.
Jenkins opened in 1957 as one of the few Black-owned barbecue spots in Jacksonville. However, the business almost didn’t make it, as the owners Melton Jenkins Jr. and Willie Mae Jenkins struggled to find a bank that would give them a loan due to their race.
In 2023, Jenkins Quality Barbecue was named the best barbecue joint in Florida by the Food Network.
Food Network said Jenkins’ signature hot mustard sauce is what made them stand out.