Beloved lunch spot Hopkins Eatery opens fourth Tallahassee location

• Hopkins Eatery has opened its fourth location in Tallahassee's Bannerman Crossings Shopping Center.
• The new restaurant is located at the site of the former Rae's Restaurant.
• Founded in 1982, Hopkins Eatery is known for its specialty sandwiches, salads, and family-style service.

Cheers! Hopkins Eatery, "a Tallahassee favorite since 1982," has officially opened its fourth location in the capital city.

Fans can now enjoy the taste of the family operation's specialty sandwiches, salads and other lunchtime favorites in the Bannerman Crossings Shopping Center on 3431 Bannerman Road Suite 104. The doors opened at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20.

It sits in the former Rae's Restaurant which shuttered in July 2025.

Bannerman Crossings is populated with other locally owned food establishments including Blu Halo, Dao, Mom & Dad's Italian Restaurant, Dog Et Al and Ma's Diner.

Patrons of the long‑standing casual eatery — known for its kitchen‑style décor and beloved for specialty sandwiches tucked into fresh‑baked bread, decadent salads and homemade treats — filled the comment section with excitement after the announcement of the official opening.

One user said, "Yay! We plan to be regulars since you’re so close to us now!"

Background on Hopkins Eatery

Hopkins Eatery has been around for over 40 years. This eatery got started with one single mother of four, the late Martha “Dee Dee” Johnston, who was looking to fulfill her dream of "serving her friends and neighbors delicious and fresh food," as the website says.

With the help of her family and longtime patrons, she's done just that. This gourmet sandwich shop has been recognized by many for its family style service and flagship dishes ranging from the "guac sandwich" served on rye pumpernickel or the specialty "Chicken Tetrazzini" a cashew chicken salad with linguine, mushrooms, cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion and bell pepper with a house dressing drizzle on top.

Hopkins Eatery currently operates three other locations in the capital city: 1415 Market St., 1660 N. Monroe St. and 1208 Capital Cir SE.

This article includes previously reported information from the archives. Kyla A Sanford covers dining and entertainment for the Tallahassee Democrat. New restaurant opening up, special deals, or events coming up? Let me know at [email protected]. You can also email your suggestions for a future TLH Eats restaurant profile.