Keke's Breakfast Cafe Cleveland: Nick and Umesh Patel's 5-Unit Deal

CLEVELAND — What started as a regular breakfast tradition in Florida is becoming a five-unit restaurant venture in Ohio. Nick and Umesh Patel have signed a five-unit development agreement with Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, the Florida-born breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise with more than 80 units, to bring the growing concept to the Cleveland market.

For Nick, the partnership represents a full-circle journey that began years before he ever considered becoming a Keke’s franchisee. After a 26-hour flight home from India in 2016, he was exhausted, hungry and looking for somewhere to eat. He discovered Keke’s and quickly became a fan.

“I had lived in Florida for 12 years, and Keke's was just part of my weekly routine,” Nick said. “Keke’s wasn't just a business pitch on a spreadsheet to me. It was a place I had eaten at and loved for years.”

Years later, while having breakfast with his family at a competing restaurant, Nick found himself thinking about the experience he had come to expect from Keke’s. “We were having a terrible experience, and I found myself saying out loud that we needed something way better, which immediately brought Keke's to mind,” he said.

Cleveland expansion plans

Now, Nick and Umesh are preparing to introduce that experience to guests throughout Cleveland. “People keep coming back to Keke's because the quality and freshness are just on another level compared to the competition,” Nick said. “I love the food, and I know there's going to be nothing quite like serving the best breakfast in town to my local community.”

Keke’s has built its reputation around freshly prepared breakfast and lunch favorites, including pancakes, waffles, French toast and omelets, alongside burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads. Its cafes operate on a daytime-only schedule, typically from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., providing franchisees with a single-shift operating model.

The Patels’ agreement also marks Keke’s entrance into Ohio and represents another step in the brand’s continued expansion into new markets across the country.

Brand expansion strategy

“Here we come, Ohio!” said Ardag Tachian, senior director of franchise development. “We’re thrilled to welcome Nick Patel and Umesh Patel as multi-cafe developers in Cleveland. Both men are strong business leaders, understand how to build and manage teams and genuinely care about creating a great experience for both team members and guests. At Keke’s, we look forward to serving a fresh start to all of our friends in the Buckeye State.”

As the Patels work toward opening their first Cleveland-area cafe, their five-unit commitment will give them the opportunity to establish a broader presence for Keke’s throughout the market.

For Nick, the decision to commit to multiple locations comes back to something he understood well before becoming a franchisee: the guest experience. “When you already know firsthand that a brand outclasses competitors in quality and vibe, choosing to partner with them just makes sense,” he said.

The Cleveland agreement is part of Keke’s larger national development strategy as the brand continues identifying franchise partners and markets for expansion. With Cleveland now underway, Keke’s is also looking toward additional opportunities throughout Ohio, including Dayton, Columbus and Cincinnati.

“Nick and Umesh already understand what makes Keke’s special because they experienced the brand as guests first,” Tachian said. “That kind of genuine connection to the concept is incredibly valuable. Cleveland gives us an exciting opportunity to introduce Keke’s to a new group of guests, and we believe Nick and Umesh have the leadership and commitment to build a strong multi-unit presence in the market.”

Keke's Breakfast Cafe is a Florida-born restaurant chain specializing in breakfast, brunch and lunch favorites. Known for its freshly made meals, Keke's offers a wide range of options, including pancakes, waffles, omelets and other classic dishes. Commitment to high-quality ingredients and excellent customer service, Keke's Breakfast Cafe provides a welcoming and relaxed dining experience for customers of all ages.

The cafe currently operates in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Nevada, Texas, Colorado and California, with other locations in multiple U.S. states slated in the near future.

After years of eating at Keke’s in Florida, Nick and Umesh Patel are turning their belief in the breakfast brand into a five-unit development plan in the Cleveland market.