JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – When Rhonda Lunsford returned to Jacksonville, it wasn’t just to open a restaurant — it was to bring a piece of her family’s history back to the city. Bold City Wings, in San Marco, has been open for a month, and it’s already drawing attention.
Neighbors peek inside with curiosity, stop by with cookies and other gifts, welcoming the Lunsfords to the community.
“It gets you excited, and you’re like, what’s missing. So, you look around, and you see what’s missing, what I can bring to the table,” said Rhonda Lunsford, one of the restaurant’s owners.
But it’s not just the warm welcome making headlines. The cost of some menu items, including an 8-piece order of wings at nearly $20 after tax, has sparked backlash and questions online.
The Pricing Debate: Why $20 Wings?
Not everyone is convinced the price matches the portion. The restaurant’s 8-piece wings — totaling nearly $20 after tax — have sparked online pushback, prompting News4JAX Reporter Briana Brownlee and Photojournalist Jesse Hanson to ask residents what they think.
For some, that initial excitement is overshadowed by sticker shock. When San Marco resident KC Norton first saw the menu, he questioned whether the cost lined up with the quantity.
“Not really…I can cook my own a lot cheaper, and put whatever sauce I want,” Norton said. “That’s a little outrageous — $20 for 8 pieces.”
But just a few blocks away, resident Telli Trongon has a different take. He says price alone doesn’t tell the full story — especially when a small business is preparing everything by hand.
“It depends — they might be cooked really well,” Trongon said. “They probably season them and have a special batter, maybe marinate them. It’s hard to tell. Maybe you should go in there and try them.”
While Norton focuses on cost, Trongon focuses on context — believing that quality, preparation, and taste should factor into the conversation.
“Yeah, they are kind of expensive looking,” he added, “but you can’t really tell by judging a book by its cover.”
Fresh Ingredients and Labor-Intensive Preparation
Rhonda Lunsford says every bite at Bold City Wings has a purpose — from hand-cut wings to homemade sauces made in-house each day. She acknowledges the online chatter about pricing but insists the cost reflects real expenses behind the scenes.
“All the chatter online is that the wings are high, but it is based on something; it’s not just for no rhyme or reason,” she said. “There is the economy, transportation, labor, and the fact that we’re using higher-end ingredients. And again, we are making things from scratch — lemonade made from scratch; tea made from scratch.”
Her son and co-owner, EJ Lunsford, points to another frequent question: why customers can’t call ahead to place orders. He says their small operation and fresh-food model make that policy necessary.
“Because we make all of our food fresh, and we make it to order,” he explained. “We don’t want to take a call-in order, make your food, and then you can’t come in and get it. Then we have a plate sitting around. We don’t want to waste any food.”
More Than a Restaurant: Family and Community
For the Lunsford family, Bold City Wings wasn’t just a business decision — it was a mission rooted in family, legacy, and economic opportunity.
Rhonda says she returned to Jacksonville and saw firsthand how many people were struggling to find work. Her goal was to build something that offered both food and stability.
“I wanted to create — it was almost like it was meant to be — a place where my son isn’t begging for a job,” she said. “I wanted to create jobs for him, for people in the area who need jobs.”
The restaurant’s name and décor are purposeful, too. The walls are lined with photos of Jacksonville landmarks and the Jacksonville Red Caps — a nod to Rhonda’s grandfather, who played for the team and passed away just a week before the restaurant opened.
“I used to always hear, ‘Bold New City of the South,’ so I wanted to tie that in together — Bold City Wings,” she said. “My grandfather passed away a week ago. He used to play for the Jacksonville Red Caps. I wanted to do a salute to him.”
From family recipes to their focus on hiring locally, the Lunsfords say Bold City Wings aims to feel like home — a place where their family history meets community connection, all while navigating the realities of running a small business.
From the start, the Lunsfords said, San Marco residents welcomed them warmly.
“I love the people, everyone is so nice, everyone is welcoming. Our neighbors and everyone from the surrounding areas have come to welcome us… They are walking their dogs. We had cookie fix; bring us cookies on three or four occasions,” Rhonda said.
She added that the neighborhood support shows how a local restaurant can become a hub for connection, conversation, and even pride in a city’s history.