At one point, we were supposed to get a JAWs-themed burger joint right around the Universal Orlando resort. However, rising rent and space issues forced the Detroid-based JAWS Jumbo Burgers to find a new home.

Rather than being located by the home of one of my favorite rides ever, JAWS Jumbo Burgers has decided to settle 75 miles north of Orlando. The restaurant found a bigger boat at 3131 SW College Road in Ocala.

As far as the details leading to such a significant departure from the original plan, WFTV-9 reports the following statement from the VP of Jaws Jumbo Burgers:

“One issue was that the cost to rent space in Orlando was outrageous. Another issue was that we needed a space big enough to install our 6 ft x 12 ft Digital Shark Aquarium and our 10-foot Great White Shark attraction. We also needed the restaurant to have a good street view and that was also a problem with some of the rental spaces in Orlando.”

Sadly, the move puts the eatery far outside of the usual tourist areas of Central Florida. However, those driving down to Orlando from the North will pass right the JAWS-themed place if they take I-75.

The restaurant is said to be full of shark-related items and is said to have some memorabilia from Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 film. We’ll check it out within the next few weeks and report back.

Are you interested in checking out JAWS Jumbo Burgers? Here’s the menu below!

While it may not be the destination you’d expect to find in the Orlando area, it fits right into the less congested parts of Florida. A basic burger joint with a nautical theme is a welcome departure from seeing another Chili’s or another large national chain.

Hopefully, the owners were able to secure some props from the film because coming across those nowadays is rare. Even a tiny chip of wood from the Orca can fetch a pretty penny now.

[Source: WFTV-9]