Grumpy’s Restaurant announced Sept. 2 its second franchisee, Leah and Justin Milliken, will open a location in the Fountains at St. Johns on County Road 210 in St. Johns County.
The restaurant announced its first franchise for its Middleburg restaurant in August. It plans to open in October at 1805 Blanding Blvd., Suite 107, in Clay County.
Grumpy’s President and CEO Daniel DeLeon said in a news release he did not initially intend to franchise two restaurants, but found a good fit to run both locations.
“The pandemic allowed us to step up in our community in ways we had never done before,” DeLeon said. “People resonate with our values and this has drawn in franchisees who embody the Grumpy’s culture. We’re looking for family-oriented people who can recreate the same atmosphere that we have in Orange Park in their own home communities.”
The Fountains at St. Johns location at 1610 County Road 210 W. plans to open early next year.
The Millikens will open one location for now, but hope to have more in the coming years.
“Living in Northeast Florida, we have gotten to know Grumpy’s very well. It’s our family’s favorite restaurant,” Leah Milliken said in the news release. “We love the atmosphere, food, and culture. This is a great opportunity for us to build a local staple in St. Johns County where families and friends can come together over great diner food.”
Grumpy’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It features Southern comfort food, sandwiches, soups, coffee and desserts.
It was founded in 1999 in Orange Park at 834 Kingsley Ave. and began offering franchises in 2019.
The initial investment to open a single location is between $331,200 and $805,000, which includes a $40,000 franchise fee. Each Grumpy’s is about 2,700 square feet with 106 seats.
The restaurant is seeking more franchisees to open in Mandarin, Fruit Cove, Ortega, Southside, Wildlight, the Beaches, Yulee, Amelia Island and St. Augustine, the release said.