Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured “Re-opening of Grumpy’s puts loyal customers in great mood” On ClayTodayOnline.com

By Don Coble don@claytodayonline.com

MIDDLEBURG – The minutes before Grumpy’s Restaurant was scheduled to re-open were filled with frenzied activity inside the popular eatery. There were menus to place on tables, food to be prepped, T-shirts to be folded and a final moment for everyone to catch their breath.

“I need these guys to be exceptional today,” co-owner Del Hoard Sr. told his kitchen staff. “Actually, guys, just do what you always do.”

Outside, the line of hungry and eager customers was growing. The dark and foggy conditions created an eerie backdrop. Headlights poked a hole through the thick cover as the line quickly became a crowd.

Then at 5:30 a.m., Courtney Hoard, the wife of co-owner Del Hoard Jr., opened the door and she was quickly greeted with smiles and hugs.

“We got here about 4:40 (a.m.). We wanted to be the first when they opened the doors,” said Middleburg’s Jay Miller.

The restaurant was destroyed on Jan. 19, 2022, by a fire that started with an electrical spark in the wall behind the dishwasher. COVID, supply chain issues, red tape and labor shortages caused several delays in the rebuilding. Nearly a year of frustration and anticipation was replaced with filled stomachs, hot cups of coffee and a few tears.

“It feels good to be back,” Hoard Sr. said. “We never gave up.”

Within minutes, every seat at Grumpy’s was filled. A new line formed outside, and it didn’t subside until the final lunch left the line at 2 p.m.

The only things that distinguished the pre-fire Grumpy’s with the rebuild was the large “GRUMPY’S” signs above the counter and a wooden American flag leading to the restrooms. The GRUMPY’S letters still were covered with soot and char. So was the flag. They serve as a reminder of the restaurant’s journey, Hoard Sr. said.

The rest of the place was rebuilt exactly as the old one. The Hoards resisted the temptation to expand to better accommodate the demand, but they decided coziness and a friendly attention was more important.

Only a few returning customers opened their menus. Most were such regulars, they already knew what they wanted to eat.

Including Miller and his wife, Barb. They took the first booth near the door. He ordered two poached eggs, grits, bacon and unsweet iced tea. She ordered oatmeal, toast and coffee.

“I came up here right after the fire and took photos of the inside,” Jay Miller said. “We’ve been waiting a long time for them to be back. We come up here for the comradery. It’s a very personal place. It’s a family affair here.

“Grumpy’s is a lot more than eggs and grits.”

“We’ve been coming here since they opened,” Barb Miller said. “We love it here.”

Although Grumpy’s is new again, the Hoards were glad to pick up where they left off. That means legions of loyal customers, huge bowls of fresh fruit, big waffles, fresh-squeezed orange juice, eggs and a waiting line that forms before the doors are unlocked.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “ClayTodayOnline.com.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured “'Tough times happen': Middleburg Grumpy's owner excited for reopening year after devastating fire” On SpotOnFlorida.com

The owner of Grumpy's Restaurant in Middleburg says the last year has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but he's excited to get back to serving the community.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “SpotOnFlorida.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured “Grumpy’s restaurant in Middleburg set to reopen” On BizJournals.com

By Don Johnson

Grumpy’s restaurant, one of Middleburg’s most popular eateries, has plans to reopen on Monday morning, Jan. 2, according to a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

The restaurant was damaged by fire in January and has faced delays in reopening.

The Middleburg diner, which opened in October 2020 at 1805 Blanding Blvd. was Grumpy’s first franchise restaurant. The original Grumpy’s is located in Orange Park.

The Middleburg restaurant is co-owned by Dell Hoard Sr., his wife, Peggy, their son, Dell Jr., and his wife, Courtney.

Daniel DeLeon, president and CEO of Grumpy's Restaurant, said in an earlier interview that the building will be the same size. The former restaurant had a seating capacity of about 112.

“Everything will be the same,” he said.

He said they had hoped to salvage some of the building, but there was too much damage. “It is unbelievable how much soot can ruin everything,” DeLeon added.

Grumpy’s has received numerous awards for its made-to-order homestyle breakfast and lunch and has several locations in Northeast Florida.

No one was hurt in the fire on Jan. 19 at the restaurant. The restaurant had been closed for about four hours when an employee at a nearby business smelled smoke and called the fire department.

The fire started in the restaurant’s back prep room. A floor fan used by the cleaning crew to dry the floor caught on fire 14 minutes after the crew left the building.

DeLeon and his wife, Morgan, bought the flagship Grumpy's Restaurant in Orange Park in 2017. They now offer franchises of the restaurant.

A U.S. Navy cook, known as Chef Grumpy, opened the first Grumpy’s restaurant in 1999. The restaurant serves American and Southern food, including seafood. The restaurant promotes its cranky-looking chef logo and is known as the "Home of the Bad Mood Dude." The restaurants serve breakfast and lunch.

The restaurant’s hours are 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “NewsBreak.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured “Grumpy's re-opens Middleburg location following fire, $1M rebuild” On BizJournals.com

By Penny Dickerson  –  Reporter, Jacksonville Business Journal

A January 2022 fire caused by faulty equipment completely gutted and shut down Grumpy’s Middleburg location.

Two-weeks shy of one year later, owner Dan Deleon has invested $1 million to rebuild the restaurant and will open doors to the public Jan. 2.

DeLeon said the Middleburg Grumpy’s located at 1805 Blanding Blvd., Suite 107 is 2,800-square-foot location and will retain its original footprint consistent with counterpart Grumpy restaurants in St. Johns and Clay counties. 

The Business Journal previously reported that Grumpy’s fourth and largest franchise opened in Neptune Beach on Nov. 14.

That 4,500 square feet restaurant cost $1.2 million and has 160 seats, private conference room and outdoor patio seating similar to Grumpy’s flagship location in Orange Park.

“We were hoping to acquire more space for Grumpy’s Middleburg by negotiating with the liquor store next door, but it just didn’t work out,” said DeLeon. “We were specifically looking to expand to a 10-foot wider space to add four more tables and additional cooler space.”

DeLeon said holiday traffic for all Grumpy’s restaurants has been “insane.” He said the restaurants have never been as busy during a holiday season and attributes it to people getting out more and families comprised of large parties patronizing the restaurants.

“Our goal was to see an increase in the single digits, but we’ve experienced tremendous growth with an increased volume of 12% to 15%,” said Deleon. “Middleburg has 53 employees with close to 40 working full-time. We were “lucky” to retain 80% of the original staff.

The Grumpy’s Middleburg restaurant is a franchise location owned and operated by Dell Hoard Sr. and Dell Hoard Jr. along with their wives Peggy and Courtney, respectively.

A fifth Grumpy’s in Yulee's Wildight development was also scheduled to open in January; it has been pushed back to the second week in February due to construction schedules.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “FirstCoastNews.BizJournals.com.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “Grumpy's in Middleburg set to reopen Monday after January 2022 fire” On FirstCoastNews.com

Author: Renata Di Gregorio

The reopening is coming with a hefty price tag. Owner Dell Hoard, senior, says it cost more to rebuild than to initially open.

MIDDLEBURG, Fla — It's a new year and a new start for a beloved local restaurant.

Nearly a year after a fire ravaged their Middleburg location, Grumpy's restaurant on Blanding Boulevard has a reopening date: Monday.

The reopening is coming with a hefty price tag. Owner Dell Hoard, senior, says it cost more to rebuild than to initially open.

"The cost of everything has doubled," Hoard said. "It's significantly more expensive to rebuild our place than it was to build it originally."

Grumpy's on Blanding Boulevard was only open for one year before catching fire in January. It's been closed ever since, but now the company is starting the new year on the right foot. A fourth Grumpy's restaurant is set to open in May in the Wildlight community in Nassau County.

Hoard says supply chain problems caused a delay in reopening and they had to wait several months for appliances to be delivered. Inside the rebuilt restaurant, they say you'll notice only minor changes and some changes were made to make operations easier for employees.

They're reopening with 85 percent of their employees, many of whom worked at other Grumpy's restaurant locations this past year.

"We have such a family atmosphere amongst our employees and our restaurant patrons that come in," Hoard said. "We see a lot of them everyday."

Grumpy's is open from 5:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “FirstCoastNews.com.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “‘Tough times happen’: Middleburg Grumpy’s owner excited for reopening year after devastating fire” On News4Jax.com

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – The owner of Grumpy’s Restaurant in Middleburg says the last year has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster, but he’s excited to get back to serving the community.

Walk in, and the first thing you’ll now see is a charred sign (pictured above). Dell Hoard Jr. says it’s a reminder of what happened about a year ago.

“We’re gonna keep it like this,” he said. “It tells a story, and we want everyone to know it’s part of Grumpy’s now.”

In January 2022, the restaurant went up in flames. Investigators believe a fire broke out in the kitchen.

No one was physically hurt in the blaze, but the damage was extensive.

Hoard Jr. said that, naturally, the fire took an emotional toll.

“I mean, I couldn’t talk to anybody at the time,” he said. “It was hard. Our family, we put a lot into this, and I remember getting the call, I had just gotten home from eating here beside the place.”

From there, the family business focused on rebuilding — although it took a lot longer than expected.

Hoard Jr. says they’ve been motivated by their loyal customers.

“It’s been so comforting to know we have so many people around here who care about Grumpy’s,” Hoard Jr. said. “We were only here for 15 months, but we were able to come in and form that relationship that we could really see.”

“Tough times happen. And you can see what comes from it afterwards,” Hoard Jr. said. “You’ve just got to work hard and you’ll get back to where you were.”

Nearly a year later, crews are putting the final touches together before the doors reopen.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “News4Jax.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “A year after a devastating fire, a popular family-owned diner rises from the ashes” On Jacksonville.com

Teresa Stepzinski

Florida Times-Union

The Monday reopening of a popular family-owned diner almost a year to the day after a devastating fire gutted the Clay County restaurant is giving customers and the community a reason to smile.

Franchise co-owner Dell Hoard Sr. and his family are welcoming folks back to the table at Grumpy's Restaurant at 1805 Blanding Blvd. at Branan Field Walk retail center in Middleburg.

The Hoard family along with Daniel DeLeon, president and CEO of Grumpy's Restaurant, promised to "build back stronger " after Jan. 19, 2022 fire — sparked by an electrical issue in the kitchen — swept through the restaurant several hours after it had closed for the day.

They kept their word.

Although the rebuild was slowed somewhat because the damage was more extensive than originally thought and cost more due to inflation, they persevered with support from the community including a local financial institution, Hoard said.

“We have been very fortunate that the community has been so supportive,” Hoard, who owns and operates the restaurant with his wife, Peggy, their son, Dell Jr. and his wife, Courtney, said in a news release announcing the reopening.

Hoard said people repeatedly have been asking them when the diner would reopen. Customers and other Middleburg businesses rallied to help the restaurant and its employees after the fire.

“… They really care about Grumpy’s and our employees. The local business community has also been helpful with donating clean-up supplies and food and hosting fundraisers. Their outreach and willingness to help was just amazing, and we are very grateful for everyone’s support,” Hoard said.

Grumpy's Restaurant, based in Orange Park, is known for its freshly made-from-scratch breakfast, brunch and lunch Americana comfort food, ample, plate-filling portions, family-friendly prices and genuine hospitality. The Middleburg diner is among five Grumpy's either open or coming soon in the greater Jacksonville area.

The Hoards were Grumpy's first franchise owners. DeLeon and the Hoard family opened the Middleburg restaurant in October 2020. It quickly became a Clay County favorite like the original Orange Park flagship diner.

The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. — nearly four hours after the business closed for the day. Grumpy's was empty when an employee at a neighboring business smelled smoke and called Clay County Fire Rescue, DeLeon previously told the Times-Union.

No one was injured. The fire had started in the prep room of the kitchen along the back wall of the 2,600-square-foot restaurant. The diner had a fire suppression system but the building didn't have a sprinkler system. The fire raced through the restaurant, DeLeon said.

Before the reopening, DeLeon confirmed to the Times-Union that the final cost of rebuilding and reopening the restaurant totaled about $1 million. That was significantly more than initially estimated immediately after the fire happened.

Hoard said 121 Financial Credit Union helped them "bridge the gap between the amount paid by insurance and the cost to rebuild. "

“We are embedded in the Middleburg community and are here to support small businesses, particularly at their most dire time of need,” David Marovich, president and CEO of 121 Financial Credit Union, said in the news release.

Marovich said the credit union and the Hoard family had a longtime relationship.

“We are 100% committed to our members and their success. After seeing the devastation that occurred and the outpouring of support from the community, we wanted to do our part to help them reopen as quickly as possible,” he said.

Hoard said the diner has "retained about 85% of its employees." Many were able to relocate temporarily to the other Grumpy's Restaurant locations while Middleburg was closed. The family has been interviewing newcomers to the restaurant team in preparation for the reopening.

“We’ve always had a family atmosphere at Grumpy’s, which to me was the most crucial part of our success,” Dell Hoard Jr. said in the news release. “Our employees, the environment and the daily interactions are what keep people coming back."

He noted that their customers "have formed relationships with our employees and it’s so important to have that."

"We really wanted as many of our team to come back as possible, and we are thankful that so many are staying with us. We look forward to welcoming our new team members as well,” Dell Hoard Jr. said.

Customers probably notice some "refreshed interior elements but most of the minor changes have been focused on making operations easier for employees, the family said.

Grumpy's Restaurant Middleburg will be open from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily like its sister restaurants in Orange Park, Neptune Beach in Duval County, The Fountains at St. Johns in Saint Johns and coming soon, its newest restaurant in Wildlight in Yulee.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “Jacksonville.com”.

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Grumpy’s Restaurant Featured In “Grumpy’s in Middleburg to reopen in January — nearly year after fire” On News4Jax.com

By: Nick Jones

MIDDLEBURG, Fla. – After nearly an entire year of hard work, the Grumpy’s Restaurant located in Middleburg said Tuesday it will soon reopen following a devastating fire last January.

Specifically, it has set a date of Monday, Jan. 2 for its official reopening, according to a news release. The owners say the final cost to rebuild was “significantly more” than what was originally projected, and with the help of 121 Financial Credit Union, they were able to bridge the gap between the amount paid by insurance and the cost to rebuild.

“We have been very fortunate that the community has been so supportive,” Dell Hoard Sr., co-owner of the restaurant, said in a prepared statement. “People are always asking us when we will reopen. They really care about Grumpy’s and our employees. The local business community has also been helpful with donating clean-up supplies and food and hosting fundraisers. Their outreach and willingness to help was just amazing, and we are very grateful for everyone’s support.”

David Marovich, president and CEO of 121 Financial, said the credit union has had a long standing relationship with the Hoard family.

“We are embedded in the Middleburg community and are here to support small businesses, particularly at their most dire time of need,” he said in a prepared statement. “After seeing the devastation that occurred and the outpouring of support from the community, we wanted to do our part to help them reopen as quickly as possible.”

Chances are you’ve heard of Grumpy’s, and you’ve likely been to one somewhere in the Jacksonville area. Notably, it’s been the JaxBest choice for the area’s best spot for breakfast — and it took top honors in the category again this year.

At the time of the fire, crews said they believed the fire started in the restaurant’s kitchen. No injuries were reported.

For more information, visit: www.GrumpysRestaurantCo.com/Grumpys-Blog

Check out Grumpy’s Restaurant and the whole article at “News4Jax.com.com”.

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