Table of Contents
- Where are the Cook Out restaurants in Florida?
- How did Cook Out grow in Florida?
- Why did Tallahassee get a Cook Out?
- What is Cook Out building next in Florida?
- Does Cook Out cost the same in every Florida county?
- How does Florida compare with the other Cook Out states?
- Where is the nearest Cook Out if you live elsewhere in Florida?
- Which Florida Cook Out should you visit first?
Cook Out went from zero Florida restaurants to four in 12 months. A Pensacola drive-thru opened on July 9, 2025, Tallahassee followed in the fall, and two more opened two weeks apart in July 2026, one near Tampa and one on Jacksonville's Beach Boulevard. Florida is Cook Out's newest state and still tied for its second smallest, with about 1% of the chain's roughly 383 restaurants.
- 4
- Florida restaurants open
- 12 mo
- To open all four
- 3
- Sites bought, not open
- 7.5%
- Sales tax at every store
Pensacola, Tallahassee, Temple Terrace, Jacksonville
July 9, 2025 to July 30, 2026
Carrollwood, St. Petersburg, Milton
A $7.39 Regular Tray costs $7.94
Where are the Cook Out restaurants in Florida?
Four, from the western Panhandle to the northeast corner and Tampa Bay. Each has its own guide.
| City | Address | Opened | The building |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola | 1735 E. Nine Mile Rd. | July 9, 2025 | New 1,500 sq ft drive-thru on a former bank lot |
| Tallahassee | 1942 N. Monroe St. | Fall 2025 | A former Hardee's |
| Temple Terrace (Tampa Bay) | 5501 E. Fowler Ave. | July 16, 2026 | A former Boston Market |
| Jacksonville | 14016 Beach Blvd. | July 30, 2026 | A former Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers |
How did Cook Out grow in Florida?
2021
Pensacola lot bought
The first Florida purchase, a former Regions Bank site.
2022
Tallahassee wins a poll
Cook Out asked the public which city should get its next restaurant, and Tallahassee won, according to WCTV.
July 9, 2025
Florida's first Cook Out opens in Pensacola
September 23, 2025
Signs go up in Tallahassee
Cook Out announces its first Tallahassee restaurant on North Monroe Street.
Fall 2025
Tallahassee opens
A soft opening on a Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. is followed by full service the next day.
February 20, 2026
Milton site bought
Cook Out-Milton, Inc. pays $1.25 million for a former Ollie's Neighborhood Grill.
April 11, 2026
Three Tampa Bay sites reported
The Tampa Bay Times reports Temple Terrace, Carrollwood and St. Petersburg.
July 16, 2026
Temple Terrace opens
July 30, 2026
Jacksonville opens
Within hours the lot was nearly full and the drive-thru line reached the entrance, the Florida Times-Union reported.
Why did Tallahassee get a Cook Out?
Because its fans voted for it. In 2022 Cook Out ran a public poll asking which city should get the chain's next restaurant, and Tallahassee won. The store opened about three years later on North Monroe Street, in a former Hardee's, and WTXL described it as the chain's second restaurant in its viewing area after Valdosta, Georgia.
What is Cook Out building next in Florida?
| Site | Status | Price paid |
|---|---|---|
| Carrollwood, 16215 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. | Renovating a former Boston Market | $2.5 million |
| St. Petersburg, 9595 4th St. N. | Converting a former Boston Market; plans on file with the city | $2.6 million |
| Milton, 6180 Highway 90 | Bought a former Ollie's; no plan announced | $1.25 million |
None has an opening date. Tampa Bay is the only Florida market with more than one Cook Out open or planned, since Pensacola, Tallahassee and Jacksonville each have one.
Does Cook Out cost the same in every Florida county?
The sales tax does. Escambia, Leon, Hillsborough and Duval counties all charge a combined 7.5%, a 6% state rate plus 1.5% in local surtaxes, so a typical $7.39 Regular Tray comes to $7.94 at all four restaurants. The menu prices are typical figures for the chain, and each Florida store posts its own. Our price guide has the full board.
How does Florida compare with the other Cook Out states?
| State | Restaurants | Share of chain |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 150 | 39% |
| South Carolina | 52 | 14% |
| Georgia | 46 | 12% |
| Virginia | 45 | 12% |
| Tennessee | 44 | 11% |
| Alabama | 16 | 4% |
| Kentucky | 12 | 3% |
| Mississippi | 9 | 2% |
| West Virginia | 4 | 1% |
| Florida | 4 | 1% |
| Maryland | 1 | 0.3% |
Counts are ScrapeHero's August 2026 figures with Florida corrected from news reports. Florida is tied with West Virginia for ninth place, and unlike West Virginia it is still adding stores. See every state on the locations page.
Where is the nearest Cook Out if you live elsewhere in Florida?
Outside these four cities, it is a drive. Temple Terrace is the southernmost Cook Out in the state until St. Petersburg opens, and nothing operates in Central or South Florida. The Panhandle has Pensacola, with Mobile, Troy and Foley in Alabama to the west, and North Florida's gaps are covered by Valdosta and Brunswick, Georgia. Our Brunswick guide covers the one that sat 60 miles from Jacksonville before Beach Boulevard opened.
Which Florida Cook Out should you visit first?
The original in Pensacola if you want the first one and do not mind a no-seating drive-thru, Jacksonville if you want a dining room, and Temple Terrace for the longest hours, with a 4 AM close. Tallahassee sits between them, open to 3 AM.