The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, located at 370 Zoo Parkway, has officially partnered with the SSA Group to manage its food, beverage, and retail operations.
The Denver-based operator took over on February 1st and roughly quadrupled the menu options with the help of the mobile carts throughout the park for grab-and-go snacks to supplement the zoo’s two restaurants and café, according to Jacksonville Business Journal. On top of streamlining orders through self-order kiosks, SSA will continue to expand the zoo by adding a waterfront craft beer and sports bar and renovating the zoo’s new entrance, which is slated to open next year.
Those who visit the zoo before then will notice a handful of other minor changes, including new menu items at one of its other eateries, such as vegan options, burgers, and salads, fresh fruit within children’s meals, and Jacksonville-based Mayday Handcrafted ice cream, which is an SSA partner. The new partnership allows the zoo staff to focus on the organization’s main mission of connecting the community with wildlife.
“It’s a win-win,” Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Marketing Manager Emily Long tells the Business Journal. “We can focus on our conservation initiatives and educate our guests on what we do here and why it’s so important. And we can let SSA do what they’re best at doing.”
