Andrew ‘Andy’ Zarka wasn’t always a Jacksonville resident, but after 40-plus years living in various boroughs throughout the city, he couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Zarka’s family moved to the Bold City in 1980 when he was just 13 years old, though they moved around before eventually settling down in the Arlington area.
That same year, his family purchased a small German restaurant/deli in the Regency Square Mall called Mr. Dunderbak’s. Zarka spent his formative teenage years helping his family run the restaurant, continuing as he graduated from Terry Parker High School until he eventually left for college at the University of Florida.
“When we got here and settled down, I was happy to have a home base,” Zarka said.
While Zarka studied civil engineering in Gainesville, his family ended the Mr. Dunderbak’s franchise, reopening the business under a new name: European Street Restaurant and Gourmet. Now, most people know it as European Street Cafe.
Upon graduating, Zarka spent about 13 years working for a local firm as a civil engineer. He lived in the Riverside area and spent his days completing projects around the city, many of which still stand today.
“My most infamous project is the Riverside Publix,” Zarka joked. “The parking lot that everybody loves to hate.”
After his father, Lew Zarka, passed away in 2006, Zarka rejoined the family business in partnership with his mother.
Today, Zarka is fully responsible for three European Street Cafes around Jacksonville and he loves every minute of it.
He expressed that being involved in the three, tight-knit communities (the Beaches, San Marco, and Riverside) is the most special aspect for him.
“We’ve been a part of people’s lives for a long time in this city and that means a lot to me,” Zarka said.
When he’s not at the restaurants, Zarka spends his free time playing pickleball. He picked it up seven years ago on a whim and hasn’t put down a paddle since. He even owns a pickleball store in the San Marco area.
Zarka’s daughter, Amelia, grew up in the family business just like Zarka did. He said that he fondly remembers his years with her in the kitchen, though he’s proud of the path that her education is now taking her.
Amelia is a sophomore at Florida State University studying sports medicine. Her father is looking forward to watching her “do her own thing,” he said.
Zarka is devoted to Duval, drawn to the way Jacksonville balances big-city energy with a close-knit, small-town vibe.
He enjoys running into people he knows as he enjoys a morning stroll through the Springfield neighborhood or pops into new restaurants and local classics along the avenues.
Zarka is a talented home chef and an avid sports fan with season tickets for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
When he has the chance, he enjoys taking weekends away to explore the food scenes in new cities, but he’s mostly a homebody, happily sticking to his usual haunts.
“I spend a lot of time in Jacksonville,” he said, “and I’m okay with that.”
