JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & Fries closed its restaurant in Jacksonville, with the chain’s top executive citing an upcoming increase in the minimum wage and a history of unprofitability at the location, according to our news partners at the Jacksonville Daily Record.
The restaurant at 1027 Danmac Lane closed Sept. 16, Hwy 55 founder and CEO Kenney Moore said in a Facebook message to the Daily Record.
Moore said the closure was difficult because of the “wonderful staff” at the West Jacksonville operation along Commonwealth Avenue east of Interstate 295.
“However, we have lost money since opening and with minimum wage going up at the end of the month that would add to our losses,” Moore said.
A constitutional amendment in Florida approved by voters in November 2020 required the minimum wage to increase each year until it reaches $15 an hour. The wage will increase to $15 an hour Sept. 30, then will change annually based on inflation starting in 2027.
Hwy 55 has offered to help its Jacksonville employees find new jobs, Moore said.
The Jacksonville location opened in June 2024, according to a Facebook post. It had 15 employees.
Hwy 55, founded in 1991 in North Carolina, has more than 50 locations “across the Southeast and beyond,” according to its website.
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