ORANGE PARK— Before its 1984 extension, the Orange Park Mall did not feature a food court.

At the time of its opening in 1975, the mall’s main appeal relied heavily on retail powerhouses such as Sears, rather than the vast variety of dining options it offers today.

But months after the Orange Park Mall opened its doors to thousands of patrons on September 24, one popular restaurant stood out.

The Orange Park Mall McDonald’s was characterized by its bright yellow arches, affordable menu and pristine management. Tenant Karen King was the hamburger jockey of the Orange Park area, and one of the first females to own and operate a franchise.

“I was the token female in the token mall,” she said. "But I loved it."

Before carving her way as a philanthropic pillar in the community, take donating the lot and a 5,100-square-foot commercial building that is now home to The Way Free Medical Clinic on College Drive, King said she remembers personally designing the special space to resemble a garden.

Opening day was packed with friends, family, excited employees and members of the corporation.  In her words, it was nifty, keen and cool.

King said she enjoyed every moment of it. You could find her donning her daily uniform, working the register, lifting hot baskets full of fresh fries and even drawing drinks. One thing she did not do, however, was clean the milkshake machine.

“I had to learn everything the hard way. I mean, nobody’s holding my hand and saying, ‘Oh, here sweetie, let me show you this.’”

One thing she remembers being difficult from the time the store opened was when Sears would put all their employees on break at the same time.

“It was a challenge, let me tell you. Another challenge was that the mall didn’t even open until, I think, 9 or 9:30 or something, even with the mall walkers. So, I only served breakfast for an hour, an hour and a half. So, most of it got thrown away.

She pleaded with the company to begin allowing her to open later and stop serving breakfast; however, it was a set-in-stone rule.

"It's a whole different menu. Different temperatures, different products, different everything," she said. "So, I'm trying to train people that are kids, that are in school, that can't be there, except on Saturday and Sundays to cook breakfast."

Ronald McDonald back in the 1970s.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN KING

At a young age, she entered the mall already having shares in multiple franchises around the county, including the county’s first McDonald’s restaurant on Park Avenue.

Amid loss, heartache, challenges, and even having the franchise ripped from her grasp at one point, King said she still emerged to create thriving businesses that still exist to this day.

It all began when she met her husband Cliff in Huntington, West Virginia. Cliff was an Air Force Veteran and supervisor of two McDonald’s stores, one in Huntington and the other in Ashland, Kentucky.

King said while the two were on vacation, she met his former employer, Kathryn Bagley, who at the time was the first-ever female owner and operator of a McDonald’s franchise. Bagley’s husband was big within the corporation, and she was awarded the restaurant after his passing in the 1960s.

“I don’t think she ever set foot in the store because there was no lobby. It was strictly a walk-up, no drive-through. And there were only male employees, no females at all,” she said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAREN KING

“I would go to conventions all through the last 50-plus years, and many times, they’d have a full-size cardboard cutout in full color of Kate Bagley. Standing there as the first female owner operator. I thought that was interesting.”

Interesting enough to want her own.

At the time, she had also learned of a deal the corporation had, where if a manager or hire-up had at least seven years of experience with McDonald’s, the company would bankroll, fund or loan 90% of the money for their first franchise.

“I told Cliff about it and I said, ‘Let’s apply.’”

At first, he was entirely against the idea, skeptical of the overwhelming costs.

But King said what she didn’t tell Cliff was that she had more than enough from her late husband, Mr. Miller’s, insurance policy. Miller had passed away from a tragic train incident in 1966, leaving her a widow with her 10-month-old son, Joe.

She eventually filled out the form and sent a $15,000 deposit to the company, preparing to start a new franchise. Cliff was approved and put on a list, waiting for the next available franchise to open.

In the meantime, Bagley offered him a job as general manager in Florida.

Soon, the pair received their first store offer, a location in Lake City. But King said the site was scrapped due to a gasoline crunch. 

They were later alerted to what would be the perfect place, a location in Orange Park. The Kings moved to the town in February of 1974. The store opened in March.

“Turns out, it was the first McDonald’s in Clay County,” she said.

STAFF PHOTO BY KYLA WOODARD

A brick building, a front door and no drive-thru, she said the McDonald’s on Park Avenue was a stark difference from what it is now.

Although the cash flow at the time wasn’t ideal, she said they persevered. The following year, they were offered the franchise within the Orange Park Mall.

 "I mean, think about a female and a mall. I mean, come on. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.”

Although it sounded like a dream, King said it took a while to become involved. Being a female was the main issue.

“Since it was my money, I wanted to be involved,” she said.

She was also 50/50 at the mall location. King said she made it a point to have her name added to all accounts, and she started attending the advertising co-op meetings.

“[Cliff] said, ‘You’ll be the only female there.’ And I said, ‘I’m good with that.’”

It was a house divided. Cliff frequented the restaurant on Park Avenue, while King said she made the Orange Park Mall her new home. Eventually, King completely took over the Park Avenue location, as well as the one in the mall. She also bought the Blanding Boulevard location from Cliff in 1982, as business was shaky. After their divorce, she said she lost contact with him.

Nowadays, King said she’s ready to take a well-deserved break, officially selling all of her remaining franchises. It’s a new, fresh start. For 51 years, she said she has seen the ins and outs of what it takes to run a smooth ship and sell millions of Big Macs, fries and Chicken McNuggets. 

To celebrate its legacy, and impactful tenants like King, the Orange Park Mall will be hosting its 904 Day event on Sept. 4 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. With the help of nonprofits, such as Clay Education Foundation, Operation Barnabas, Quigley House and several others, the event aims to allow community members to meet the heart of Jacksonville.

The mall will also be giving away 50 $50 gift cards with its scavenger hunt. After visiting each nonprofit, attendees will be able to collect clues and find hidden 904 stickers throughout the mall. Find one to win a gift card.

In addition to vendors and booths, attendees will also be able to enjoy live music, Florida's Favorite Vintage Volkswagen Bus Photo Booth and the chance to write a heartfelt note to a woman veteran with For Women Vets.

Attendees can also look forward to the unveiling of a new time capsule. From Sept. 4 to Sept. 30, community members can stop by the Mall Office and submit notes, photos or small items that represent their connection to the mall.

The time capsule will be opened in 2075, in time for the mall's 100th anniversary.

Contributions can be dropped off during the submission period Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.