With business booming after safely reopening its flagship location in Orange Park, Grumpy’s Restaurant is announcing new expansion plans to bring the local Jacksonville favorite to new beach towns and tourism hot spots. The brand currently has two developments in progress in St. Johns and Middleburg, and is eyeing Amelia Island and New Smyrna Beach for expansion.
The full-service restaurant serves delicious diner classics along with innovative menu items and has brought in a passionate following in the Jacksonville and Orange Park community. While Grumpy’s may have been voted Jacksonville’s “Best Kept Secret,” stories about the brand have flooded the local media during the pandemic as CEO Daniel DeLeon worked hard to give back to the Jacksonville community. DeLeon forfeited his salary so he could continue sending his staff home with paychecks, donated produce to residents who couldn’t afford groceries, and delivered warm meals to first responders throughout the pandemic.
“As a brand and as a part of our community, we came out of the pandemic stronger,” said DeLeon. “We took this opportunity to get involved and take care of the community that we call home. As we expand, we want to grow to new areas that we feel a connection with and can give back to in the same way.”
Grumpy’s was voted Jacksonville’s “Best Overall Restaurant” for the second year in a row, “Best Breakfast”, “Best Place to Work”, and “Best Kept Secret” by the Florida Times-Union. DeLeon was also awarded “Mover & Shaker of the Year,” beating fellow nominee and Jacksonville Jaguars owner, Shahid Kahn, and voted by Nation’s Restaurant News as one of the most influential restaurant CEOs in the country.
The diner prides itself on high quality comfort food at a working class price. The staff at the flagship location are known for fostering close relationships with regulars and the brand is looking to expand to communities that would appreciate not only the delicious food, but the sweet southern hospitality and experience dining in at Grumpy’s.
“We are specifically eyeing both Amelia Island and New Smyrna Beach because they are close-knit communities that have great residents, southern charm, and amazing atmosphere,” added DeLeon. “We believe that people in both areas would enjoy our culture and the personal connections that we make with every guest.”
Grumpy’s Restaurant was born out of passion and love for bringing family and friends together over great diner food. Their commitment and mission are to deliver the highest quality dining experience at an affordable price for families everywhere. Menu items are fresh, made to order and always made from scratch. Grumpy’s offers an array of daily and weekly chalk board specials which include a variety of sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, signature coffee, fresh squeezed juices, homemade hot chocolate and desserts.
After a successful career as a multi-unit franchisee for various restaurant concepts and large franchisor representative, DeLeon has developed and launched Grumpy’s as a franchise opportunity. They are looking for local franchisees that have the same passion and grit as “Grumpy.” DeLeon estimates that both cities could comfortably hold two Grumpy’s locations each, with potential to hire about 35 to 40 employees at every location.
Including a franchise fee of $40,000, the initial investment necessary to open a single location ranges between $331,200 and $805,000. Each Grumpy’s Restaurant location will occupy approximately 2,600 to 3,000 square feet of real estate and will have approximately 106 seats.
