Grumpy’s, Jacksonville’s “Best Overall Restaurant,” Announces Expansion to Middleburg

“We feel that Middleburg residents will resonate with our passion and love for bringing family and friends together over great diner food,” said CEO & President Daniel DeLeon. “We have established a great Grumpy’s community at our original Orange Park location and we are excited to cultivate the same family atmosphere at our new restaurant.”

While the new location is set to be corporately owned, DeLeon is open to the Middleburg location being acquired by the right franchisee. After a successful career as a multi-unit franchisee for various restaurant concepts and large franchisor representative, DeLeon has launched Grumpy’s as an exciting franchise opportunity. They are looking for local franchisees that have the same passion and grit as “Grumpy.”

The Middleburg restaurant is 2700 square feet and will employ approximately 35 people. While two additional locations in the Northeast Florida market are confirmed, DeLeon is confident that the area can be home to at least seven successful Grumpy’s locations.

The no-nonsense restaurant is committed to serving its community, especially local veterans, and Grumpy’s prides itself on the staff’s sweet southern hospitality while serving a hungry person’s portion at a working-class price. Jacksonville.com and the Florida Times-Union awarded Grumpy’s with the titles “Best Restaurant Overall” and “Best Kept Secret,” among others.

“We have gotten a lot of requests for expansion in the area, and it’s amazing to see that we have made an impact on people across Northeast Florida,” said DeLeon. “Our local expansion is only the beginning for Grumpy’s, and we can’t wait to continue to serve new communities.”

Founded in 2001, the original Grumpy’s was a dream of a U.S. Navy cook, known as “Chef Grumpy: The Bad Mood Dude.” After retiring, the original “Grumpy” decided to take a leap of faith and continue to serve his community in a different facet.

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.

Including a franchise fee of $34,900, the initial investment necessary to open a single location ranges between $370,850 and $660,900. Each Grumpy’s Restaurant location will occupy approximately 2,700 square feet of real estate and will have approximately 106 seats.

Founded in 2001 and franchising since 2019, Grumpy’s Restaurant is a traditional Americana, full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and brunch. Grumpy’s offers fresh, made-to-order and always-made-from-scratch menu items at an affordable, family-friendly price. Today there is one location open and operating in Jacksonville, Florida. For more information, visit www.grumpysrestaurantco.com.