Known for its trademarked “edge to edge pizza,” Donatos Pizza will open its first Jacksonville-area restaurant Tuesday .
The restaurant is at 1500 Beach Blvd. near Mojo Kitchen and Engine 15 in Jacksonville Beach.
Donatos is known for its generous pizza toppings, which cover the crust all the way to the edge.
Franchise partner Buckeye Pizza LLC, led by managing partner Justin Sherman and his wife, Courtney, are opening the restaurant, which also offers oven-baked subs, fresh salads salads and boneless or traditional baked chicken wings that are available naked, sauced or with dry rub.
The Jacksonville Beach location is the first of three — all by Buckeye Pizza LLC — that the Ohio-based chain announced in December were planned for the Jacksonville area.
The other locations haven’t been announced as yet.
“As a Columbus, Ohio native, I have always loved Donatos,” Justin Sherman said in a news release. “I felt like the Jacksonville area was missing a concept like Donatos, and I wanted to bring not only a fresh brand, but also this amazing pizza to the area.”
The Jacksonville Beach location will offer online ordering at donatos.com for order-ahead pick up and delivery options.
Donatos Pizza has a reputation for contributing to the community. Buckeye Pizza Inc. already has been continuing that tradition.
In conjunction with the Jacksonville Beach store opening, the restaurant has been feeding “frontline heroes” like the doctors and nurses at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Baptist Medical Center Beaches and the Jacksonville Beach Police Department, company officials said.
“We are excited to open this new location in Jacksonville Beach,” Donatos CEO Tom Krouse said in the news release.
“We constantly get requests from fans of our brand to open stores in the Sunshine state and this is the first of several stores that will open in Florida this year and beyond.”
Donatos was founded in 1963 by Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote, who bought a small pizza shop in Columbus, from a young seminarian for $1,300.
With the opening of the Jacksonville Beach store, Donatos pizza is available in 10 states, according to the company.
The 1,641-square-foot store will seat 22 people. It will have about 45 full-time and part-time employees.
It will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily with the pickup window and delivery service available until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
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