ORANGE PARK – Big Daddy’s Sub Shop is a beach-themed sub sandwich shop that serves a wide-ranging menu of hot, fresh-to-order hoagies, along with hot dogs, salads and more.

Patrons are greeted by luminous vibes of bright, beach themed-colors, which are dominated by yellow.

But that’s not how it used to be under the direction of the parcel’s previous tenant. The previous store was painted gray.

Now that's history, and with the new, local establishment comes many hot, mouthwatering, items that are now freshly available to order.

If you decide to stick with a sandwich, order the Ultimate, the most popular menu item at the restaurant. The item is complete with a meaty perfection of a trio including roast beef, roasted turkey breast and premium ham, which is topped off with provolone cheese.

Then, you can customize that with your favorite toppings, whether that be tomato, onion, lettuce, mayonnaise, mustard or other options.

If you don’t go with an original hot sub, try a cheesesteak or Italian. The Chicken Philly, complete with grilled chicken breast, oregano, sauteed onions and melted provolone is a treat, but that doesn't quite match the five selections of steak sandwiches on this portion of the menu, hence the name, cheesesteak.

Among these options, you can keep it simple with The Philly, which is heated fresh-to-order with seasoned sirloin steak, sauteed onions and melted provolone. Do that, or go with a myriad of other topping options with the other four orders, which can include anything from bell peppers to mushrooms and more.

All in all, the five sandwiches are practically equal in taste.

Other than that, top options include three all-beef, quarter-pound hot dog selections, including the Chicago style, chili dog and kraut dog. Last but not least, the Greek Salad, loaded with premium ham, pepperoni, hard-boiled eggs, feta cheese, olives and Greek dressing is the establishment’s most popular salad – by far – and it provides a healthy alternative to a classic hoagie.

Not only that, but customers can customize your toppings. The family-friendly, veteran-owned local business is ready to listen to its customers that fully represent the tight-knit community structure.

Jennifer Auclair, manager of Big Daddy’s and daughter of the shop owner, William Auclaur, will fix your sandwich to your liking, and customers can even select add-ons such as two or four slices of bacon, extra meat, extra cheese, and hearty vegetables like mushrooms, jalapenos, Greek olives and more.

Auclair has been in the restaurant business since 10, starting her career as a dishwasher.

Her father and owner of the business, better known as Bill, is a 49-year veteran of the restaurant industry and a 24-year resident of Clay County.

The proof is in the pudding, Former customer, Dave, donated the surfboard ordaining the wall located at the entrance of the shop, and another gentleman provided a sign that hangs on the wall to this day.

The business has been steadily increasing at the establishment after surviving an opening that took place four months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It gets better all the time. We’re just always growing and changing and trying to get better,” Auclair said.

However, in an era of an economic recession and fewer employees willing to go to work, finding new help has been ever-challenging, Auclair said.

“It’s been all but impossible to get a new employee. We had one high school employee, and she gave her notice last week. Just a couple of days before that, one of our previous employees had moved back to the area and wanted to (return to work), so we dodged a bullet, but we only get a new application about once every three months,” the owner said.

As far as community outreach, Big Daddy’s sponsored the Ridgeview High girls’ softball team in 2021, providing sandwiches at a discounted price. Then, Big Daddy’s was able to help a local golf tournament staged in Nov. 2022 raise $5,000 for the Pace Center for Girls of Clay County by offering players sandwiches served at a friendly discount.

The store is located at 1330 Blanding Blvd. Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Catering options are available if you are looking to feed a family or group of friends. You can reach them at (904) 375-0618 or by visiting BigDaddysSubShop.com or visiting their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BigDaddysSubShop/.