PB&J chicken wings, cheesesteak egg rolls, fried chicken apple pie sandwiches — local diners and tourists can enjoy fresh takes on Southern classics like these and more at the newest Treylor Park restaurant, set to open in St. Augustine by the end of the month.
Treylor Park Restaurant Group co-owners Trey Wilder and Rick Kunzi have had their eyes set on the Ancient City for almost a decade. The duo plans to build off the winning formula of four prior Treylor Park locations across Northeast Florida and South Georgia.
“Where St. Augustine is right now, you can feel this new energy coming in with the culinary and hospitality industry,” Kunzi said. “There’s a lot of great, new businesses opening, very similar to the scene in Savannah nine years ago when we opened the first Treylor Park.”
The new location will offer unique dining experiences for every kind of guest. Inside, a double-wide diner design creates an atmosphere like the inside of an upscale airstream trailer, including a curved metal ceiling and chandeliers over the bar. Guests who prefer dining al fresco will enjoy a large back patio with pergola, perfect for St. Augustine’s year-round sunny weather.
For takeout meals, a new self-serve kiosk concept will be introduced for grab-and-go customers.
“We’re constantly refining the way we present our food, our menus, the interior, the flow,” said Wilder. “We’re always working on it. It’s humbling to see the growth and success of Treylor Park over the years, especially in such a tough industry. That’s why we continue challenging ourselves to provide the best dining experience possible.”
As with previous Treylor Park locations, the family-friendly menu offers an elevated vision of Southern comfort food that feels distinctly off the beaten path. That’s because partners Wilder and Kunzi aimed to create a culinary journey full of adventurous dishes that diners can’t experience anywhere else.
“It’s all about keeping people interested and excited,” said Kunzi. “That’s how we’ve built and maintained such a following. Take our PB&J chicken wings. The initial thought makes people go cross-eyed until they find out we use an Asian peanut flavor, paired with our homemade peach jam as a dipping sauce. They’re not your mom’s PB&J with the crust cut off. They’ve got their own intellectual flavors.”
Along with the Southern food comes a focus on Southern hospitality, Wilder explained.
“Approachable comfort is something we strive for,” he said. “With so many people from different walks of life and areas of the country coming in, we love when they have that comfort here. You can sit down and feel like you’re in our home.”
Located at 61 Spanish St., Treylor Park has ample inside and outside seating for large groups and private events. For menus, hours and directions to Treylor Park St. Augustine, go to treylorpark.com.
