Ready to indulge in a decadent shake? (Yes!) The Yard Milkshake Bar at Town Center has you covered
The Yard Milkshake Bar has arrived in Jacksonville with its menu of rich, indulgent gourmet ice cream shakes, sundaes and edible cookie dough.
After several days of previewing the concept during a soft opening, franchise co-owners Beth and Charles Duvall along with their friends and business partners Patti and James Burchell have opened their upscale specialty ice cream shop at 4906 Town Center Parkway at The Strand at Town Center adjacent to St. Johns Town Center.
The location is the first Northeast Florida restaurant.
"We think Jacksonville is just going to literally eat it up. They are magical milkshakes is all I can say," Beth Duvall told the Times-Union. "We're just excited to bring happiness to the community."
Coming soon: Opening this summer, Panera Bread latest addition to growing Brooklyn restaurant options for workers, residents
Coming soon: More than 25 restaurants are in the works for Jacksonville in 2022. Here's a list.
Free app: Download the Jacksonville.com app for our latest restaurant news, breaking news and more
The two couples have been working to bring The Yard to Jacksonville for more than a year and a half, Duvall said.
"We're very excited. It's surreal. But we've landed where we're supposed to be," she said noting the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath slowed the project.
Decadent shakes, more on the menu at The Yard
Topping the Jacksonville menu is The Sunshine Shake, a signature shake created exclusively for the new store.
The shake is handcrafted with Orange Blossom ice cream, drizzled with yellow and orange marshmallow and served in a yellow marshmallow-dipped jar rolled in orange sugar sprinkles. It's topped with whipped cream, a locally sourced sunshine cookie, a cotton candy cloud and more sugar sprinkles, Duvall said.
It's just one of 18 decadently rich milkshakes on the menu of the Jacksonville store.
Served in a souvenir mason jar, The Yard's milkshakes and sundaes ($17 to $19) are crafted from the restaurant's 30 ice cream flavors and more than 50 toppings, including chocolate chip cookies, cotton candy cloud, Nutella, classic sprinkles, chocolate chips, peanuts and old-fashioned Hershey's chocolate syrup, the menu shows.
Customer favorites include the Cookie Monster, featuring Cookie Monster ice cream in a chocolate iced jar with Cookie Crisp around the rim. It's topped with whipped cream, chocolate and marshmallow cream drizzle, Cookie Crisp and a cookie dough sandwich.
Another favorite is the Peanut Butter Finger Cheesecake, made with honey-roasted peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter drizzle in a peanut butter dipped jar rolled in Butterfinger candy pieces. It's topped with whipped cream, peanut butter drizzle, Butterfinger pieces, a peanut butter monster cookie dough scoop, a Reese's peanut butter cup, and a slice of New York cheesecake.
Duvall said popular with vegan and non-vegans alike is the "Not Milk," which is lactose-free and vegan-friendly. It's chocolate chunk oatmilk vegan ice cream mixed with chocolate soy milk in a vanilla iced jar rolled in crushed vegan chocolate chip cookies. It's topped with vegan whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and a vegan chocolate chip cookie.
The shop also offers eight flavors of edible cookie dough — available as pops ($4) or in a souvenir pint jar ($15), according to the menu.
In addition, The Yard's menu includes floats, ice cream or cookie dough scoops and specialty bowls.
A taste of summer: San Marco Dreamette opens, serves up iconic soft-serve ice cream cones, sundaes and milkshakes
From one location to 20 in just five years
Founded in 2017 in Gulf Shores, Ala., The Yard and founders Logan and Chelsea Green were featured in 2019 segment of "Shark Tank" that kick-started the restaurant's growth nationwide.
The Yard has 20 stores operating nationwide, including Jacksonville, said Ro Simantel, company marketing and online sales director. Three other Florida stores are open in Panama City, Destin and Tampa, the company's website shows.
The Duvalls of Jacksonville and the Burchells of St. Augustine were inspired to open their franchise after watching the "Shark Tank" segment.
More decadent desserts on tap for Town Center
The Yard is in the former Yogurt Mountain space next to Grub Burger Bar at the shopping center.
It is the first of at least three restaurants known for decadent desserts planning to open this year in the Town Center area.
Others include Sugar Factory American Brasserie and Light on the Sugar.
Sugar Factory is an upscale confectionery and restaurant made popular by celebrities and social media influencers. It is renovating the former Brio Tuscan Grille building at 4910 Big Island Drive at nearby Markets at Town Center.
Based in Las Vegas, Sugar Factory is known for its $25, celebrity-endorsed couture pops, $20 milkshakes, $17 sundaes and its $99 “World Famous Sugar Factory King Kong Sundae” featuring 24 scoops of ice cream topped with dark chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauces, banana, marshmallows and even a glazed doughnut, red velvet cupcake and more.
Sugar Factory's menu also features signature burgers, soups, salads and sandwiches as well as steaks, seafood and pasta entrees.
Light on the Sugar is an Asian-style, French pastry bakery and cafe known for its fresh-from-scratch creampuffs, macarons, crepe rolls, tarts and cakes along with specialty coffee and fresh fruit teas.
It plans to open this summer at 4860 Big Island Drive next to Bento Asian Kitchen + Sushi at Markets at Town Center. Light on the Sugar, a sister concept of Orlando's Sugar Dough Bakehouse, operates two cafes in Winter Park.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Yard Milkshake Bar opens near Jacksonville's Town Center
