JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – A waffle shop owner in Jacksonville said she was days away from closing the doors on her second location at the beaches until a heartfelt social media post changed everything.
Melissa Endrina, a Navy veteran and owner of Aloha Waffle Bar, posted a video on Instagram pleading for community support after struggling to bring in customers at the newly opened Jacksonville Beach location near TacoLu.
The response she received surprised even her.
“Hey Jacksonville, it’s time for a heart-to-heart with you guys,” Endrina said in the video. “We are looking to the community for some support and some help here at Aloha Waffle Bar. We still struggle to get people through the door.”
The response was swift. Within days of posting, Endrina shared a follow-up video with a very different tone.
“After this video was posted, thank you guys so, so much for showing up,” she said. “We do not have any food left for tomorrow.”
From empty tables to lines out the door
Endrina served nearly a decade in the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Hawaii, where she fell in love with the islands’ culture and cuisine.
She brought that inspiration back to Jacksonville, opening Aloha Waffle Bar on Skymarks Drive in the River City Marketplace in 2021 as a way to share those experiences with her community.
“I decided to take all of my life’s adventures and kind of put them together and create something that was, you know, kind of different to bring to the Jacksonville community,” Endrina said.
Endrina got to the point where she was able to expand the business to a second location in January, at the Gates of Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Beach.
But building a customer base at the new location proved difficult because Endrina says many drivers simply pass the shopping plaze without stopping.
“It seems to be a place that people just kind of whiz by,” she said.
The decision to post the emotional video came down to one simple calculation: ask for help, or close the second shop.
“It basically was like a last-minute, like, you know, hey, I’m just gonna tell the Jacksonville community that we need support, we need help, or we’re not gonna make it here,” Endrina said.
Location, foot traffic pose challenges
Financial experts say Endrina’s struggle is far from unique — and that Jacksonville’s geography plays a major role in the challenge facing small businesses.
“You can think about how big Jacksonville is from a square mile standpoint,” said Roberto Costa, a Jacksonville certified financial planner. “It’s so spread out that depending on where your location is, you might not have a whole lot of people living in that area. People have to drive to see you. Tourists, you know, people come from out of town to enjoy the beaches and that. And then you can have periods of the year where you’re gonna have a lot less foot traffic.”
Community shows up in a big way
Customers who heard about the post didn’t hesitate to respond. Tara Hubbard, who visited the Jacksonville Beach shop after seeing Endrina’s video, said the moment called for action.
“If I can support in any way, I’m happy to support because it takes a community,” Hubbard said.
The outpouring left Endrina emotional and grateful.
“Aloha spirit in Jacksonville has truly humbled me,” she said. “They are amazing.”
Endrina says the surge in support hasn’t just boosted sales — it’s renewed her hope.
She’s encouraging Jacksonville residents to keep local businesses top of mind, saying the impact of showing up can be far greater than people realize.