Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeff McNally.
Hi Jeff , please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My wife Genie and I opened The Floridian Restaurant in downtown St. Augustine in September of 2010, with the goal of bringing something fresh and creative to our hometown. After working in restaurants since we were teenagers, graduating college with liberal arts degrees, traveling as much of the country and world as we could, we were inspired to open a casual, comfortable and fun space, with a heavy focus on local, farm-to-table food sourcing. Our motto then as now remains: ‘Food is important!’ After 5 years at our smaller location on Cordova Street, we got the opportunity to renovate an amazing old building on Spanish Street a few blocks away, with a larger dining room, private event space and full bar. Thus began the evolution. After 10 years downtown, we recently sold our property, moved out, and are in the process of constructing a brand new restaurant building on Anastasia Island on the way to the beach (Floridian 3.0!)–designed and built by us to continue to reflect our aesthetic and ethos at large. While we wait for construction to finish, we also decided to go ahead and pull the trigger on a couple of other concepts, and so Bea’s Fine Foods and Jefe’s Fish Wagon were born! Bea’s is named after Genie’s grandmother, and features a fresh, local menu highlighting some of our favorite things, including Brunch-y items during the day and a refined, ingredient-driven dinner menu (similar to the Floridian, yet different). Jefe’s is our little food trailer, located in the parking lot at Hornski’s Brewing Company, which is an ode to simple fish camps and seafood shacks of yore. Blackened or fried fresh fish (tofu or shrimp too!) prepared simply on your choice of sandwich, burrito, rice and black-eyed pea plate, tacos or salad. The Floridian, as our flagship restaurant, is set to reopen Spring/Summer 2026.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Ha! A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor as they say. We have seen and experienced many of the ups and downs that come with owning your own business, especially combined with (literally) ancient infrastructure, flood and hurricane-prone areas, and more. We have weathered Covid shut-downs, reopenings, renovations big and small, equipment failure, plumbing emergencies, regulatory hurdles, recessions–the list goes on. Despite it all, we are sincerely lucky to continue to be able to do what we do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Floridian?
The Floridian was and (will be once again!) St. Augustine’s premier Farm-to-table Restaurant, with a focus on ‘Innovative Southern Fare’. Fresh, locally-sourced food, prepared expertly and served without pretension in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. This ethos extends to our two other concepts as well–Bea’s Fine Foods and Jefe’s Fish Wagon. We are proud to continue to offer St. Augustine’s locals and visitors a unique experience when they choose our restaurants–rooted in hospitality and a welcoming environment.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Excellent question. We have had a bit of both I would say. The good: Opening at an opportune moment when the whole local/farm-to-table movement was gaining steam, and St. Augustine was becoming more popular as a tourist destination. Our opportunity to move from our first location to our building on Spanish St., which paired us with an amazing landlord who remains an ally to this day. The bad: Pandemics, Hurricane closures, flooding, construction and permitting delays. Nothing particularly unique to us alone, just some minor to major inconveniences that we had to learn to navigate.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thefloridianstaug.com // www.beasalldaycafe.com
- Instagram: @thefloridianstaug @beas_finefoods @jefesfishwagon
