By Tracy McCormick-Dishman
A splash of color has landed on the side of Hurricane Grill & Wings in Julington Creek, and it’s turning heads for more than the wings.
New owner Manon “Max” Patel commissioned a mural on the restaurant’s exterior this summer, a tribute to the community that has quickly become a local talking point, and a magnet for photos.
A gift to the neighborhood
Patel, who took over the restaurant earlier this year, said the mural was inspired by daily drives down San Jose Boulevard.
“Every day I drive on San Jose Boulevard, and I do not see any kind of local art or anything that is inspiring, something that people can visit and take a picture of,” Patel said. “I wanted to represent an attraction point for the people of Julington Creek, something that identifies the community, something exciting, a good spot.”
The design incorporates elements specific to the area, including the Julington Creek waterway and the oaks and greenery that give the neighborhood its character.
In a social media post announcing the artwork, Patel elaborated further: “I had this mural painted as a small gift to the neighborhood, something that’s really ours. A place to pull over, snap a picture, and mark a moment. Graduations. Engagements. Birthdays. First days. Last days. The big stuff and the small stuff.”
Patel, who grew up near Jacksonville Beach and Arlington, said Mandarin and Julington Creek have always felt like one of the city’s hidden gems, a place people love that doesn’t always get its own landmark.
“This mural is my thank-you to Julington Creek for welcoming me in,” Patel wrote.
Looking after the team
The restaurant has changed hands more than once over the past two years, a stretch original owner Rob Kluba described as a difficult time for staff. Kluba, who built the restaurant into a neighborhood fixture over 15 years, stepped back in during that rocky period before ultimately selling to Patel.
Twenty-nine employees are still owed a week’s pay from that transition, and both Kluba and Patel say making sure the staff is taken care of is the priority going forward.
“I don’t care about me. I took a loss on this,” Kluba said. “But I want the employees to get taken care of. You never see restaurant employees work at a place for 15 years. It’s unheard of, and I still have original staff working there today.”
Patel confirmed he’s working on a plan to help make those employees whole.
“I’m sitting down with my team to work out the details,” Patel said, adding that he’ll share more information as plans come together.
Kluba said he’s glad the restaurant landed with an owner invested in the community.
“He’s really trying to do good, really trying to get engaged with the community,” Kluba said of Patel. “I wish I had sold it to the people who own it now.”
For now, the mural stands as a visible symbol of the restaurant’s fresh start, an open invitation for neighbors to stop by, snap a photo and make it part of their own Julington Creek story.
