Why These Loyal Customers Signed a Five-Unit Deal to Bring Keke's Breakfast Cafe Franchise to Cleveland

Nick Patel first discovered Keke's Breakfast Cafe, the breakfast franchise with over 80 units nationwide, after returning from a 26-hour flight from India in 2016, hungry and exhausted. After that first visit, he was hooked. So when he started his journey to become a Keke's Breakfast Cafe franchisee, it wasn't the result of an exhaustive search for the next hot restaurant concept. It started with something much simpler: he already loved the brand.

While living in Florida, Patel became a regular Keke's customer, and visits to the breakfast concept became part of his routine. Years later, a disappointing breakfast experience with his family at a competing restaurant prompted him to think about what his own community was missing. His mind immediately went back to Keke's.

Now, Patel, along with his uncle and business partner, Umesh, is preparing to bring the concept to Cleveland through a five-unit franchise agreement. For Patel, the opportunity represents a full-circle journey from customer to owner and a chance to introduce the quality, freshness and experience that kept him coming back to Keke's for years to a new market.

1851 spoke with Patel about his years as a Keke’s customer, the experience that pushed him toward franchise ownership, why he believes the concept will stand out in Cleveland and what he expects as he prepares to open his first location. Here’s what he had to say:

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story in one sentence.

Nick Patel: After a brutal 26-hour flight back from India in 2016 left me starving, a regular habit of eating at Keke's Breakfast Cafe in Florida turned into a full-circle journey to open my own franchise, sparked by a genuinely frustrating breakfast at a competitor.

1851: What was happening in your life that made you realize it was time to make a change?

Patel: I had lived in Florida for 12 years, and Keke's was just part of my weekly routine. The idea to actually open one didn't come from looking at business plans in a boardroom. It hit me while sitting at a First Watch table with my family. We were having a terrible experience, and I said out loud that we needed something way better, and Keke's immediately came to mind.

1851: Why did you choose this franchise over every other opportunity?

Patel: Keke's wasn't just a business pitch on a spreadsheet to me. I had eaten there and loved it for years, starting the day I landed back in the U.S., exhausted and starving, in 2016. When you already know firsthand that a brand outclasses competitors like First Watch in quality and vibe, partnering with them just makes sense.

1851: What is it really like owning a Keke's Breakfast Cafe franchise?

Patel: We are still getting our first location open, so I can't speak to the day-to-day operations just yet. But I love the food, and I know nothing will be quite like serving the best breakfast in town to my local community.

1851: How has owning this franchise changed your life?

Patel: It's let me take a decade-long habit born out of post-travel hunger in 2016 and turn it into an actual business, backing a brand I already genuinely believed in.

1851: If your best friend had enough money to buy this franchise tomorrow, what would you tell them?

Patel: I'd tell them to stop overcomplicating things and just look at the food on the plate. People keep coming back to Keke's because the quality and freshness are just on another level compared to the competition.

About Keke's Breakfast Cafe

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. With a 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. For more information, please visit www.kekes.com and follow Keke's on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.