In 1950, this Downtown Jacksonville parking garage was the location of Milligan’s Hamburger Hut.

Milligan’s Inc. head offices were located in downtown Jacksonville at 331 West Ashley Street. In Jacksonville, there were a total of ten beefy burger locations by 1967.

  • 27 East 8th Street

  • 2441 West Beaver Street

  • 4974 Blanding Boulevard

  • 700 North Main Street

  • 5829 Norwood Avenue

  • 1605 University Boulevard

  • 1020 Cassat Avenue

  • 3562 Broadway Avenue

  • 9303 Lem Turner Road

  • 1965 South Lane Avenue

On July 16, 1971, Elmer Milligan passed at the age of 60. Elmer’s son, Richard L. Milligan, then assumed the role of the president of Milligans, Inc. at the age of 35. Richard had attended Robert E. Lee High School and graduated from Santa Fe College in Gainesville, before serving in the U.S Army from 1955 through 1957. As a charter member of the West Jacksonville Jaycees and past president, he held the ‘Key Man’ award in 1964, while serving as the vice president of Milligans. In 1974, he served as the president of the Jacksonville Restaurant Association.

However, 1974 would be the last year beefy burgers would be available to Jaxons. By the end of the year, Florida’s first fast food chain had succumbed to heavy competition from rapidly growing McDonald’s and Burger King. Since then, Jacksonville’s Burger King has flourished, relocated its headquarters to Miami and grown to become the world’s second largest hamburger chain, and the third largest fast food company in the industry. With well over 12,000 restaurants in 73 countries around the world that serve an average of 11 million hungry guests every day, Burger King is second only to McDonald’s in the hamburger business.

Today, it’s pretty difficult to find information regarding the history of Milligan’s Beefy Burgers. Like so many Jacksonville stories and businesses, the memory of Milligan’s has faded away as time has moved on.

4530 Brentwood Avenue was one of the chain’s last locations built in Jacksonville. Completed in 1972, this location is now occupied by Warren Motors. (Courtesy of Mike Field)

Article by Ennis Davis. Contact Ennis at edavis@moderncities.com