ORANGE PARK – My mouth was stuffed with French fries when TeAnna Jones stepped to my table and extended a hand to greet me. I gulped everything down and wiped my hands with a napkin before accepting her handshake. Before I could gather my notes for the interview, she asked the first question. 

"Are you enjoying your meal?" Jones, the owner, said. 

I ordered the "Bangin" All American. It was a savory, creamy sandwich that was satiating but in a way that didn't feel greasy. All burgers are cooked fresh at Bangin, the new joint that opened for business in the Orange Park Mall food court on May 10. 

"Bangin'" is an apt description of Jones' burgers. I would go as far as to say "bussin'.'" So, I answered Jones' earlier question with a resounding "Yes, ma'am" and "Thank you."

It's hard for burgers to stand out against the McDonald's or the Wendy's in town. To make it in the burger business, you must be exceptional. And it was. 

One of my qualms with the fast-food industry is its insistence on bundling a soft drink with every combo meal. I hate soda, but I love French fries. You can imagine the internal conflict I face every time I am in the drive-through—I usually end up downgrading to water. 

Jones is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. During the enigmatic first month of the COVID-19 pandemic, she found herself with plenty of free time. On April 2, 2020, she made a burger in her home kitchen. When she took a bite, a lightbulb metaphorically went off. 

"I took a bite of the burger. Then, I screamed at my husband, 'I got it!'" Jones said. 

She handed the sandwich to her husband. 

"Oh my god, this is really good," her husband said. 

Jones called her friends and cousins to try a sample of her new creation. They came. They ate. They enjoyed. As they chewed and swallowed, the family came to the consensus that Jones' burgers were "bangin.'" 

The name stuck ever since. Jones opened Bangin Burgers for business the next day, her birthday, on April 3 of that same year. 

"There's a bang in every bite," is the moto currently hanging above the restaurant. 

The burgers were a smash hit among the workers of the Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Cincinnati (there used to be a Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Green Cove Springs, which closed down in 1971).

Business was booming until an abrupt tragedy in 2022. A hit-and-run accident on Jones' food truck, their commercial kitchen, forced the family to suspend operations. 

"It was an intentional accident. Someone hit and ran. We never found out who did it," Jones said. 

Jones' husband is a pastor. He was called to serve in the Jacksonville area, so Jones and her eight children moved to Florida. 

Jones was immediately enamored by the Orange Park Mall. She saw the potential of rekindling her restaurant again in a brick-and-mortar location. Jones' second restaurant is a testament to never giving up on your dreams, especially after tragedy strikes. 

Opening night was when Jones' dream came true – for the second time. 

Her first Orange Park customers shared similar commendable words her family said four years ago: "10/10," "amazing" and "delicious."

And, of course, "bangin'.'"