Eighteen months after making its return, Hamburger Mary’s has closed in Jacksonville's Murray Hill community.
A “For Lease” sign was spotted on the door of the drag-themed restaurant and bar at 947 Edgewood Ave. S., located near the historic Murray Hill Theatre, on Thursday, July 23. Earlier in the week, a handwritten sign announcing the restaurant’s permanent closure was posted on the door, Jacksonville Today reported
.Known for its weekly Dirty Bingo, Queen of the Night Maryoke, Waffles N Wigs brunch and drag shows, the entertainment venue opened in February 2025 under new owner Jordyn Shepherd.
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Shepherd, a performer who worked at Jacksonville’s original Hamburger Mary’s, told the Times-Union in November 2024 that she “sold my house to make this work.”
“I’m not in it for the money,” she said at the time. “When I first stepped foot in Mary’s, it was the only thing that made me happy for a long time. I want to offer that safe space for anyone who might feel the same way.”
Facing eviction proceedings earlier this year, Shepherd reached out to Hamburger Mary’s supporters and the community to help keep the doors open. And they delivered, donating thousands of dollars to pay back rent within hours of a deadline set by the restaurant’s landlord, according to a series of social media posts by Shepherd.
In June, the landlord filed a complaint for commercial eviction with the Clerk of the Civil Court in Duval County for failing to pay rent in May and June, according to court records. After a judge ordered a final judgment of eviction on July 13, a motion to vacate the order was filed and is set to be heard on Aug. 6.
Earlier this month, before the judge’s order, Shepherd reached out again on social media to find a way to keep Hamburger Mary’s doors open.
On July 5, Shepherd asked for financial support via the GoFundMe crowdfunding platform, seeking $7,000 in donations to keep the restaurant and bar open and writing: “If I gave up today, our employees would lose their jobs without warning, our entertainers would lose their stage, and our community would lose a place that has meant so much to so many people.”
Shepherd also sought out a new business partner, writing in a July 7 Facebook post: “One thing I’ve learned over the last year is that asking for help isn’t failure — it’s leadership. I’ve poured everything I had into opening this restaurant. Financially, emotionally, and physically, it’s been the biggest challenge of my life. While I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve created, I’ve also realized that taking it where it deserves to go may require someone with a different level of restaurant operations experience alongside me.”
Hamburger Mary's first opened in Jacksonville in 2012
The establishment first came to Jacksonville in 2012 when owner Gary Motes opened Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille at 3333 Beach Blvd. A second location, known as Mary’s Pub House, opened at 901 King St. in 2017 but closed a year later after “a lack of support in the area,” Motes told the Jacksonville Business Journal.
After an October 2023 fire led to the closing of Motes’ original Beach Boulevard Hamburger Mary's, Shepherd brought the concept to Murray Hill, dubbing the restaurant and bar Hamburger Mary’s 2.0.
Gary T. Mills is the deputy managing editor at The Florida Times-Union. He has led the newspaper's dining coverage since 2010.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Hamburger Mary's closes permanently in Murray Hill
