Growth Club
1851 Growth Club
Franchise Deep Dive: Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data
The Florida-based breakfast dining concept is planning aggressive expansion after being purchased by Denny’s.
LAST UPDATED: March 1, 2023
FRANCHISE WEBSITE: https://www.kekes.com/contact
NUMBER OF LOCATIONS: 54
REPORTED COST TO GET IN: $347,250 to $936,250
Keke’s Breakfast Café Is a daytime dining restaurant concept that’s open daily from 7:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The restaurant was founded in 2006 by brothers Kevin and Keith Mahen in Orlando, Florida.
According to Keke’s official website, the brand is dedicated to providing its customers with an outstanding breakfast, which is made of fresh made-to-order ingredients. Its most popular breakfast dishes are the pancake combo and Greek omelet. Popular lunch items include the cheese steak panini and buffalo chicken wrap.
Keke’s Breakfast Café was purchased in July 2022 by diner-style restaurant chain Denny’s for roughly $82.5 million.
How Many Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Locations Are There?
There are 54 total units. All of the stores are located across Florida, in places like Orlando, Melbourne and Tampa. There are eight company-owned restaurants and 46 franchise locations across 19 franchisees.
Over the last 10 years, Keke’s has opened between four and five restaurants per year. Now under new ownership, the brand is expected to expand more aggressively.
What Is the Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Business Model?
Keke’s business model is relatively simple. The brand replicates the culture in each of its franchise locations and maintains the same standards so everyone is getting the same experience from store to store.
According to brand president David Schmidt, Keke’s is designed to be built in shopping strip centers. Because of this, Schmidt says Keke’s has a “very unique opportunity in today’s restaurant space.” Each unit typically covers between 4,000 to 4,2000 square feet, giving the brand favorability of reduced occupancy costs. Additionally, due to their hours of operation, Keke’s brings in a good mix of staff and employees, resulting in a good work-and-life balance.
As the brand has expanded throughout Florida, it has limited competition. Keke’s has been around for more than 16 years and has an already-established fan base.
How Much Can Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Franchise Owners Make?
In 2021, Keke’s earned average annual sales of $1.9 million, up from $1.6 million before the pandemic. That same year, the company saw store sales grow 18% year-over-year.
What Sort of Training Is Offered to Franchisees?
Keke’s offers its franchisees ample training to get them up and running as quickly as possible. They provide a two-week, in-house training program that brings franchisees through every aspect of opening and running a restaurant on a day-to-day basis. That training covers everything from operations procedures, open-to-close, food preparation, cooking and serving, inventory control, front and back of house procedures, marketing, and point of sale usage. The brand also offers restaurant design and layout assistance and site selection.
It's important to note that Keke’s does not require its franchisees to have restaurant or food service experience prior to becoming a franchise.
How Much Does It Cost to Open a Keke’s Breakfast Cafe?
The initial investment required to begin the operation of a Keke’s Breakfast Cafe location can range from $347,250 to $936,250. There is also a minimum cash requirement of $500,000.
Ongoing Costs and Fees include:
- Royalty Fee: 3%
What Is the Franchise Fee for Keke’s Breakfast Cafe?
The initial franchise fee to open your own Keke’s Breakfast Cafe location is $50,000.
Who Is the Leadership of Keke’s Breakfast Cafe?
What Helpful Articles Can I Read to Learn More About Keke’s Breakfast Cafe?
- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dennys-corporation-appoints-john-dillon-as-president-of-dennys-inc-and-david-schmidt-as-president-of-kekes-breakfast-cafe-301611960.html
- https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-01-03-this-is-floridas-best-pancake-house/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w77wkJEsGsk
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on this site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer to buy or sell any franchises, securities, or other financial instruments in this or in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the franchise and/or securities laws of such jurisdiction. All content in this article is information of a general nature and does not address the detailed circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the article constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information in the email constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content in this article before making any decisions based on such information or other content.
