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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “How Grumpy's and 1748 Bakehouse in Jacksonville are responding to higher egg prices” On Jacksonville.com

Doug Engle

Grumpy's Restaurant Line Cook Brett Flanagan scrambles some eggs for a breakfast plate Tuesday morning, February 18, 2024 at their Orange Park location. The restaurant is known for its hearty portions at family-friendly affordable prices. Eggs are a huge part of Grumpy's menu going through about 8800 eggs a week in their Orange Park location. Because of the price increase in eggs due to over 100 million chickens being dispatched because of the bird flu recently, Daniel DeLeon, president and CEO of Grumpy's Restaurant, said their current approach is to "weather the storm" and they hope to avoid having to raise prices. So far, they haven't raised prices, taken anything off the menu or reduced portion size.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #Waffle #Eggs

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “1Grumpy’s Restaurant Celebrates International Waffle Day with Rotating Specials” On Franchising.com

March 05, 2025 // Franchising.com // JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Grumpy’s Restaurant is thrilled to release their March rotating waffle and pancake specials just in time for International Waffle Day on March 25. Beloved for their creative and delicious takes on breakfast classics, the brand is excited to bring back some of their fan favorite specials for guests to celebrate with.

Winning The Florida Times-Union’s 2024 ‘Bold City Best’ awards for “Best All-Around Restaurant”, “Best Breakfast” (winning consecutively for the last four years), and “Best Country Cooking ,” the restaurant franchise is renowned in Jacksonville, and has received tremendous reception from the community for their innovative waffle creations. Grumpy’s Restaurant’s breakfast treats for March will include:

  • King Cake Waffle: Available March 1-6

  • Strawberry Cheesecake Waffle: Available March 7-9

  • Red Velvet Muffin Waffle: Available March 11

  • Oreo Waffle: Available March 12-13

  • Lucky Charms Waffle: Available March 14-17

  • Caramel Brownie Waffle: Available March 18

  • Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Waffle: Available March 19-20

  • Hot Apple Pie Waffle: Available March 21-23

  • Cinnamon Toast Crunch Waffle: Available March 24-25

  • Half Baked Waffle: Available March 26-27

  • Blueberry Cheesecake Waffle: Available March 28-30

  • Carrot Cake Waffle: Available March 31

“We’re thrilled to celebrate International Waffle Day with our specialty waffle creations this March,” said Daniel DeLeon, President and CEO of Grumpy’s Restaurant. “At Grumpy’s, we strive to provide more than the average dining experience, and these aren’t your average waffles – each one is packed with bold, unique flavors designed to delight our loyal guests. We love serving the Jacksonville community, and we can’t wait for them to enjoy these sweet and satisfying treats all month long.”

Grumpy’s prides itself on made-to-order and always-made-from-scratch comfort food and sweet southern hospitality all at a working-class price. Grumpy’s serves breakfast, lunch and brunch along with an array of daily and weekly chalkboard specials which include a variety of waffles, pancakes, omelets, sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, signature coffee, freshly squeezed juices, homemade hot chocolate and desserts.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #Waffle

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “11 Breakfast Chains We’re About To See Everywhere” On TheDailyMeal.com

Zach Mack

Sun, March 2, 2025 at 9:25 AM EST

Even though dining out for dinner gets the most attention, there's something special about hitting up a great restaurant for your first meal of the day. Whether you're sitting down to a stack of pancakes, enjoying a leisurely brunch, or looking for something quick and easy before heading to work, having a reliable breakfast restaurant can be as much of a joy as it is a convenience. And these days, Americans seem to agree: Revenue from breakfast restaurants and diners in the United States has increased 7.5% in the last half decade and is expected to hit $15.6 billion in 2025, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

Many breakfast chains are taking advantage of this upward trajectory in morning meal enthusiasm with expansion plans of their own. From bustling brunch spots beloved for their Bellinis to international hits making their move in the U.S., there's a decent chance you'll be seeing a lot more of these chains in your neck of the woods -- maybe, you'll even find yourself a new favorite. It's time to wake up, smell the coffee, and dig into these burgeoning breakfast restaurants.

Don't let the name fool you: Grumpy's Restaurant appears to have nothing but a rosy outlook about its future in the restaurant business. After a quarter of a century of making a name for itself in its home state of Florida, the popular breakfast chain is now looking to widen its presence even more in the Sunshine State. Specifically, the company said in 2024 it was actively looking for more franchise partners to increase its footprint around Jacksonville, while also eyeing Orlando, Gainesville, and St. Augustin. Then, in early 2025, the Grumpy's team said it was now looking to offer its first franchises in Tampa's burgeoning food scene, as well as eyeing expansion into Georgia.

At the time of writing, the restaurant chain boasts five bustling locations that have earned it a slew of local awards. The chain also proudly adheres to a strict 2 p.m. closing time at all of its locations, which it says helps staff maintain a healthy work-life balance while keeping prices affordable for its customers. It's also ramping up the customer experience, using the second half of 2024 to launch and test a brand-new alcoholic beverage program in some of its most popular locations.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #GrumpysDiner

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “11 Breakfast Chains We’re About To See Everywhere” On Yahoo.com

Zach Mack

Sun, March 2, 2025 at 9:25 AM EST

Even though dining out for dinner gets the most attention, there's something special about hitting up a great restaurant for your first meal of the day. Whether you're sitting down to a stack of pancakes, enjoying a leisurely brunch, or looking for something quick and easy before heading to work, having a reliable breakfast restaurant can be as much of a joy as it is a convenience. And these days, Americans seem to agree: Revenue from breakfast restaurants and diners in the United States has increased 7.5% in the last half decade and is expected to hit $15.6 billion in 2025, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

Many breakfast chains are taking advantage of this upward trajectory in morning meal enthusiasm with expansion plans of their own. From bustling brunch spots beloved for their Bellinis to international hits making their move in the U.S., there's a decent chance you'll be seeing a lot more of these chains in your neck of the woods -- maybe, you'll even find yourself a new favorite. It's time to wake up, smell the coffee, and dig into these burgeoning breakfast restaurants.

Don't let the name fool you: Grumpy's Restaurant appears to have nothing but a rosy outlook about its future in the restaurant business. After a quarter of a century of making a name for itself in its home state of Florida, the popular breakfast chain is now looking to widen its presence even more in the Sunshine State. Specifically, the company said in 2024 it was actively looking for more franchise partners to increase its footprint around Jacksonville, while also eyeing Orlando, Gainesville, and St. Augustin. Then, in early 2025, the Grumpy's team said it was now looking to offer its first franchises in Tampa's burgeoning food scene, as well as eyeing expansion into Georgia.

At the time of writing, the restaurant chain boasts five bustling locations that have earned it a slew of local awards. The chain also proudly adheres to a strict 2 p.m. closing time at all of its locations, which it says helps staff maintain a healthy work-life balance while keeping prices affordable for its customers. It's also ramping up the customer experience, using the second half of 2024 to launch and test a brand-new alcoholic beverage program in some of its most popular locations.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #FranchiseTimes #GrumpysDiner

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Grumpy’s Restaurant & Franchise President & CEO Featured On Restaurant Owners Uncorked Podcast

Episode 559

Restaurant Owners Uncorked

This episode is brought to you by Schedulefly. Super Simple Restaurant Employee Scheduling Software + Legendary Customer Service + Low Price Point. Since 2007 we've served over 20,000 restaurants and hospitality businesses. Head on over to https://www.schedulefly.com for your 30-day free trial, or feel free to call co-owner Wil Brawley on his cell phone to learn more: 704- 906-2031. Also brought to you by WebstaurantStore—the ultimate destination for restaurant pros. Whether you're launching a new café or prepping for the holiday rush, weʼve got you covered with top-notch equipment and everyday essentials, all at unbeatable prices. And right now, you can score $50 off your order of $250 or more when you use code WEBSAVE50 at checkout. But act fast— this deal ends December 31st. Visit https://www.WebstaurantStore.com to keep your kitchen running strong. This episode is brought to you by Schedulefly.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #Podcast #GrumpysDiner

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “Where Are They Now? Grumpy’s Takes ‘Hyper-regional’ Growth Approach” On FranchiseTimes.com

Alyssa Huglen

Dec 3, 2024 Updated Dec 3, 2024

Daniel DeLeon is no stranger to the many sides of franchising.

The president and CEO of diner concept Grumpy’s Restaurant first gained experience on the franchisee side as a multi-unit operator of Pita Pit and Metro Diner. He later switched to the franchisor side consulting for Restaurant Brands International, owner of Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons and Firehouse Subs.

“I am very much forever cognizant of the franchisees’ perspective and how decisions will impact the franchisee directly,” DeLeon said. “It’s always top-of-mind in all my services because that’s really most of my professional background.”

DeLeon and his wife, Morgan, purchased Grumpy’s in 2017, and he stepped into his executive roles a year later. They started franchising Grumpy’s in 2019.

The restaurant’s original location in Orange Park, Florida, has been around for more than half a century, changing leadership and concepts a handful of times. The Grumpy’s brand debuted in 1999, offering traditional diner food for breakfast and lunch all before closing daily at 2 p.m.

The brand had five Florida-based units when Franchise Times spoke to DeLeon last summer, four of them franchised.

Those numbers haven’t changed a year later, with DeLeon citing expensive real estate as a factor. He passed on locations that could serve as future sites “but just didn’t feel like the deal was right.”

Challenges have not deterred DeLeon from growing his diner concept; rather, they have driven him to expand strategically. Letters of intent are out to develop two franchise units next year, a slow and steady approach DeLeon said is intentional.

“We feel that’s a great, sustainable goal and a realistic goal,” he said. “Everyone sometimes projects a little too aggressively—and that’s OK to be optimistic—but I think this is a very realistic goal. We’re on pace already to hit it, so we’re really excited about that.”

This approach also applies to site selection. Grumpy’s units are all in Florida, and newer locations are slated to open in the state’s northeast region.

Grumpy’s prides itself in being a hyper-regional brand, noted DeLeon, who said the concern of doing too much too early could stretch franchisees and franchisors thin.

“We want to be as efficient as possible in working with franchisees and support and development, opposed to being a little bit more spread out,” he said. “We really don’t want to have too much windshield time. Sometimes you can get too far, and you’re spending a lot of time on the road opposed to working with and inside your franchisee units. We don’t want to find ourselves in that position.”

DeLeon’s experiences are integral to this growth strategy, thinking back to the ongoing support he wished he had as a franchisee.

“It was really not much after opening. That’s OK if you’re a strong enough operator, but not always is everyone going to be the ideal operator or ideal franchisee; they may need a little bit more support outside of that opening team. It’s just something that we felt was kind of lacking,” he said.

Ongoing support for Grumpy’s means tailoring assistance to what each unit needs. The team recognized franchisees need various levels and methods of support depending on their background.

When a franchise needs in-person support, DeLeon’s hyper-regional focus allows staff to respond in a quicker, efficient manner.

“We’re trying to be there for as much assistance as they would need. A seasoned restaurateur may need very different assistance than someone with a really strong background in operations doing this as their first full-service restaurant,” he said.

Future Grumpy’s locations are expected to open in the southeast United States, and the brand is not advertising or marketing outside of this region. But give it time, and Grumpy’s may look into casting a wider net.

“I would never say no by any means,” DeLeon said about further expansion. “But right now, in our infancy and our initial growth, we’re really looking for something in the southeast region and to grow outward from there … We’ve toyed with the idea of opening more and growing our corporate team, and if we mold into that, that’s great. But I would be very content and happy with one to two stores a year in great neighborhoods and having great, high-volume locations.”

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #FranchiseTimes #GrumpysDiner

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “A Beloved, Struggling Diner Chain Makes a Big Comeback” On EatThis.com

By Brianna Ruback

Published on December 2, 2024 | 12:37 PM

After dealing with years of challenges, the affordable chain is finding success.

Beloved regional Southern-style diner chain Grumpy's may be a success story now. It's a franchise of five successful restaurants that boasts a list of awards, recognitions, and accolades for its food and hospitality. But this hasn't always been the case. In fact, since opening the first location in 1999, the chain went through several rough patches until it finally landed in the right hands several years ago and mounted an incredible comeback.

Two years after Grumpy's opened, the original owner, also known as "Chef Grumpy," stepped down. This led to 15 years of unpredictability for the restaurant, according to FSR Magazine. The brand struggled to find an identity with staying power, serving French-style cuisine one year and operating as a dinner service the next.

However, when husband and wife Daniel and Morgan DeLeon took over in 2017, Grumpy's embarked on a path to success. The couple chose to resurrect the restaurant's original spirit by serving diner favorites at an affordable price, as reported by FSR Magazine. Daniel DeLeon told the publication that he and his wife were the ones who developed Grumpy's, as opposed to a group of executives. He noted that they "changed literally everything."

In 2019, Grumpy's began franchising and has opened four locations since. Today, the restaurant has units in Orange Park, Middleburg, St. Johns, Neptune Beach, and Wildlight.

According to FSR Magazine, DeLeon attributes Grumpy's current success to the ongoing support of its franchisees.

"That is the number one thing we do do that differentiates us from most franchise concepts … that we will be as supportive and active with a franchisee as they would like us to, and that's everything from wanting us to be on-site more often, weekly calls, [or] biweekly calls," DeLeon told the publication.

Another essential component to Grumpy's mission is serving high-quality, homestyle food. The chain has grown its menu from 10 items to four pages, serving breakfast favorites like pancakes, waffles, omelets, and eggs Benedict, in addition to sandwiches, burgers, and other diner staples. All of the locations use the same ingredient distributor and make their food from scratch.

Grumpy's also prioritizes generous food portions and offers a family-friendly environment, reinforcing its slogan, "No one leaves Grumpy!"

In terms of its plans for the future, the chain noted in an August press release that it's "actively targeting" franchise partners in Florida and Georgia and is looking at markets in Orlando, Gainesville, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Savannah. Grumpy's aims to sign three additional development deals by the end of the year.

Additionally, the Florida brand has implemented menu changes this year. During the first quarter of 2024, Grumpy's introduced a limited alcohol menu at its Neptune Beach location, the chain's largest restaurant. The new offerings include fresh-squeezed mimosas and other breakfast favorites. According to the restaurant, Grumpy's saw "immediate success" with its new drink options and plans to offer them at other locations in the future.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #EatThis #EatThisNotThat #GrumpysDiner

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “A Beloved, Struggling Diner Chain Makes a Big Comeback” On AOL.com

Beloved regional Southern-style diner chain Grumpy's may be a success story now. It's a franchise of five successful restaurants that boasts a list of awards, recognitions, and accolades for its food and hospitality. But this hasn't always been the case. In fact, since opening the first location in 1999, the chain went through several rough patches until it finally landed in the right hands several years ago and mounted an incredible comeback.

Two years after Grumpy’s opened, the original owner, also known as “Chef Grumpy,” stepped down. This led to 15 years of unpredictability for the restaurant, according to FSR Magazine. The brand struggled to find an identity with staying power, serving French-style cuisine one year and operating as a dinner service the next.

However, when husband and wife Daniel and Morgan DeLeon took over in 2017, Grumpy’s embarked on a path to success. The couple chose to resurrect the restaurant’s original spirit by serving diner favorites at an affordable price, as reported by FSR Magazine. Daniel DeLeon told the publication that he and his wife were the ones who developed Grumpy’s, as opposed to a group of executives. He noted that they “changed literally everything.”

In 2019, Grumpy’s began franchising and has opened four locations since. Today, the restaurant has units in Orange Park, Middleburg, St. Johns, Neptune Beach, and Wildlight.

According to FSR Magazine, DeLeon attributes Grumpy’s current success to the ongoing support of its franchisees.

“That is the number one thing we do that differentiates us from most franchise concepts … that we will be as supportive and active with a franchisee as they would like us to, and that’s everything from wanting us to be on-site more often, weekly calls, [or] biweekly calls,” DeLeon told the publication.

Another essential component to Grumpy’s mission is serving high-quality, homestyle food. The chain has grown its menu from 10 items to four pages, serving breakfast favorites like pancakes, waffles, omelets, and eggs Benedict, in addition to sandwiches, burgers, and other diner staples. All of the locations use the same ingredient distributor and make their food from scratch.

Grumpy's also prioritizes generous food portions and offers a family-friendly environment, reinforcing its slogan, "No one leaves Grumpy!"

In terms of its plans for the future, the chain noted in an August press release that it's “actively targeting” franchise partners in Florida and Georgia and is looking at markets in Orlando, Gainesville, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Savannah. Grumpy’s aims to sign three additional development deals by the end of the year.

Additionally, the Florida brand has implemented menu changes this year. During the first quarter of 2024, Grumpy’s introduced a limited alcohol menu at its Neptune Beach location, the chain’s largest restaurant. The new offerings include fresh-squeezed mimosas and other breakfast favorites. According to the restaurant, Grumpy’s saw “immediate success” with its new drink options and plans to offer them at other locations in the future.

#Grumpys #GrumpysRestaurant #Franchising #Restaurant #Franchise #Florida #Breakfast #Brunch #Lunch #AOL #GrumpysDiner

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