From First Shift to First Franchise: Gregorys Coffee Signs Its First Agreement With a Homegrown Operator

Zamfotis joined Gregorys as a barista and advanced to district manager, contributing to growth from five to 36 locations across New York and New Jersey and supervising a district of eight locations. As a New Jersey native, Zamfotis has deep experience with the brand and its operations; this move as a franchisee continues his involvement with the brand.

"My heart has always been with Gregorys," said Stavros Zamfotis. "I've worked alongside my family and the incredible people who built this brand from the ground up. I know what it stands for, what it takes to run it well and what it means to the Gregulars it serves every day. I've always strived to be an entrepreneur, and there's no brand I'd rather do that with. This is extremely personal."

As a member of the Zamfotis family, Stavros watched his cousin grow Gregorys from a single Manhattan coffee shop into a specialty coffee brand with locations nationwide, and now steps in as the operator trusted to carry that legacy forward.

"Having Stavros step into this role means everything," said Gregory Zamfotis. "He didn't just work here; he lived this brand with us. He crafted the product, built strong teams, led successful shops in the market and understood what we're really about long before franchising. The fact that our first franchise agreement is with family signifies exactly who we are."

After nearly 20 years in one of the most competitive coffee markets in the world, Gregorys has stayed aligned with its model – small-batch coffee roasted in its own NYC roastery, a scratch-made food program and a guest experience that has built lasting communities of "Gregulars." Each location is designed as a daily ritual for guests and a scalable operation.

"Stavros is what a Craveworthy success story looks like," said Gregg Majewski, Founder and CEO of Craveworthy. "He started behind the counter, bet on himself and never stopped owning the outcome. That's exactly the kind of operator we built this platform for."

Gregorys joined Craveworthy in 2025 and launched its franchise program in 2026. Franchisees join an ecosystem backed by Craveworthy's shared services platform, supporting operations, training, culinary, supply chain, technology, real estate and marketing.