OCALA, Fla. — An idea to open a restaurant themed after the iconic film “Jaws” has been floated elsewhere to Central Florida.
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Jaws Jumbo Burgers, originally set to open near Universal Orlando Resort, will now open Monday in Ocala instead, according to a news release.
Multiple issues led to the change in location.
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“One issue was that the cost to rent space in Orlando was outrageous,” Paul Porter, VP of Jaws Jumbo Burgers, said in a news release. “Another issue was that we needed a space big enough to install our 6 ft x 12 ft Digital Shark Aquarium and our 10-foot Great White Shark attraction. We also needed the restaurant to have a good street view and that was also a problem with some of the rental spaces in Orlando.”
The 2,700-square-foot restaurant will now be located at 3131 SW College St., Ocala.
“We looked at many cities and we found our perfect beautiful space in Ocala, just an hour away from Orlando,” Porter stated. “We are conveniently located off 1-75 so families on their way to the theme parks can stop by and ‘open wide.’”
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Jaws Jumbo Burgers is a tribute to the 1975 summer blockbuster “Jaws,” which even spawned an attraction at Universal Studios for many years.
The restaurant was established in Michigan in 1985 before moving to Tennessee and now Florida. The Ocala location, like the others, will feature the digital shark aquarium, replica, movie memorabilia and more and serve burgers, shakes, cookies made from scratch and more.
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