Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “A year after a devastating fire, a popular family-owned diner rises from the ashes” On Jacksonville.com
Florida Times-Union
The Monday reopening of a popular family-owned diner almost a year to the day after a devastating fire gutted the Clay County restaurant is giving customers and the community a reason to smile.
Franchise co-owner Dell Hoard Sr. and his family are welcoming folks back to the table at Grumpy's Restaurant at 1805 Blanding Blvd. at Branan Field Walk retail center in Middleburg.
The Hoard family along with Daniel DeLeon, president and CEO of Grumpy's Restaurant, promised to "build back stronger " after Jan. 19, 2022 fire — sparked by an electrical issue in the kitchen — swept through the restaurant several hours after it had closed for the day.
They kept their word.
Although the rebuild was slowed somewhat because the damage was more extensive than originally thought and cost more due to inflation, they persevered with support from the community including a local financial institution, Hoard said.
“We have been very fortunate that the community has been so supportive,” Hoard, who owns and operates the restaurant with his wife, Peggy, their son, Dell Jr. and his wife, Courtney, said in a news release announcing the reopening.
Hoard said people repeatedly have been asking them when the diner would reopen. Customers and other Middleburg businesses rallied to help the restaurant and its employees after the fire.
“… They really care about Grumpy’s and our employees. The local business community has also been helpful with donating clean-up supplies and food and hosting fundraisers. Their outreach and willingness to help was just amazing, and we are very grateful for everyone’s support,” Hoard said.
Grumpy's Restaurant, based in Orange Park, is known for its freshly made-from-scratch breakfast, brunch and lunch Americana comfort food, ample, plate-filling portions, family-friendly prices and genuine hospitality. The Middleburg diner is among five Grumpy's either open or coming soon in the greater Jacksonville area.
The Hoards were Grumpy's first franchise owners. DeLeon and the Hoard family opened the Middleburg restaurant in October 2020. It quickly became a Clay County favorite like the original Orange Park flagship diner.
The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. — nearly four hours after the business closed for the day. Grumpy's was empty when an employee at a neighboring business smelled smoke and called Clay County Fire Rescue, DeLeon previously told the Times-Union.
No one was injured. The fire had started in the prep room of the kitchen along the back wall of the 2,600-square-foot restaurant. The diner had a fire suppression system but the building didn't have a sprinkler system. The fire raced through the restaurant, DeLeon said.
Before the reopening, DeLeon confirmed to the Times-Union that the final cost of rebuilding and reopening the restaurant totaled about $1 million. That was significantly more than initially estimated immediately after the fire happened.
Hoard said 121 Financial Credit Union helped them "bridge the gap between the amount paid by insurance and the cost to rebuild. "
“We are embedded in the Middleburg community and are here to support small businesses, particularly at their most dire time of need,” David Marovich, president and CEO of 121 Financial Credit Union, said in the news release.
Marovich said the credit union and the Hoard family had a longtime relationship.
“We are 100% committed to our members and their success. After seeing the devastation that occurred and the outpouring of support from the community, we wanted to do our part to help them reopen as quickly as possible,” he said.
Hoard said the diner has "retained about 85% of its employees." Many were able to relocate temporarily to the other Grumpy's Restaurant locations while Middleburg was closed. The family has been interviewing newcomers to the restaurant team in preparation for the reopening.
“We’ve always had a family atmosphere at Grumpy’s, which to me was the most crucial part of our success,” Dell Hoard Jr. said in the news release. “Our employees, the environment and the daily interactions are what keep people coming back."
He noted that their customers "have formed relationships with our employees and it’s so important to have that."
"We really wanted as many of our team to come back as possible, and we are thankful that so many are staying with us. We look forward to welcoming our new team members as well,” Dell Hoard Jr. said.
Customers probably notice some "refreshed interior elements but most of the minor changes have been focused on making operations easier for employees, the family said.
Grumpy's Restaurant Middleburg will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily like its sister restaurants in Orange Park, Neptune Beach in Duval County, The Fountains at St. Johns in Saint Johns and coming soon, its newest restaurant in Wildlight in Yulee.
For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog
Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “Jacksonville.com”.
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