From First Shift to First Franchise: Gregorys Coffee Signs Its First Agreement With a Homegrown Operator

Former Gregorys Barista Who Spent Nine Years Rising to District Manager Returns as Brand's First-Ever Franchisee in New Jersey

BERGEN COUNTY, N.J., May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gregorys Coffee ("Gregorys"), the New York City-born specialty coffee brand partnered with Craveworthy Brands ("Craveworthy"), has signed its first-ever franchise agreement. The franchisee is Stavros Zamfotis – younger cousin of Founder Gregory Zamfotis – who has spent nine years inside the coffee shop learning every level of the operation before betting his entrepreneurial future on it.

Zamfotis joined Gregorys as a barista and worked his way up to district manager, helping scale it from five to 36 locations across New York and New Jersey while owning performance across a district of eight locations. A New Jersey native, Zamfotis plans to open his first location in Bergen County, bringing the brand he helped build to the community he calls home. With a lifelong goal of business ownership, returning as a franchisee was the natural next step.

"My heart has always been with Gregorys," said Stavros Zamfotis. "I've worked alongside my family and the incredible people who built this brand from the ground up. I know what it stands for, what it takes to run it well and what it means to the Gregulars it serves every day. I've always strived to be an entrepreneur, and there's no brand I'd rather do that with. This is extremely personal."

As a member of the Zamfotis family, Stavros watched his cousin grow Gregorys from a single Manhattan coffee shop into a specialty coffee brand with more than 50 locations nationwide, and now steps in as the operator trusted to carry that legacy forward.

"Having Stavros step into this role means everything," said Gregory Zamfotis. "He didn't just work here; he lived this brand with us. He crafted the product, built strong teams, led successful shops in the market and understood what we're really about long before franchising. The fact that our first franchise agreement is with family signifies exactly who we are."

After nearly 20 years in one of the most competitive coffee markets in the world, Gregorys has scaled by staying true to its model – small-batch coffee roasted in its own NYC roastery, a scratch-made food program and a guest experience that has built lasting communities of "Gregulars." Each location is crafted to be a daily ritual for guests and a scalable business for operators.

"Stavros is what a Craveworthy success story looks like," said Gregg Majewski, Founder and CEO of Craveworthy."He started behind the counter, bet on himself and never stopped owning the outcome. That's exactly the kind of operator we built this platform for."

Gregorys joined the Craveworthy portfolio in 2025 and launched its franchise program in 2026. Franchisees join an ecosystem backed by Craveworthy's shared services platform, supporting operations, training, culinary, supply chain, technology, real estate and marketing. The Brand is seeking experienced operators in the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Mountain West and select West Coast regions.

Meet The Team in NYC

Prospective operators can meet the Gregorys' leadership team in person at upcoming open houses held on Friday, May 29, 2026, from 3:30 to 8 p.m. ET and Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 9 a.m. to noon ET. The Brand will be hosting the events at Gregorys on 874 Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, steps from the Javits Center during one of the biggest franchise weeks of the year. RSVP at https://hubs.li/Q04h326V0.

To learn more about Gregorys, visit https://bit.ly/4dMVU9c. To learn more about Craveworthy, visit https://bit.ly/4dTcch5. To learn more about Gregorys' franchise opportunities, visit https://bit.ly/4dMVU9c.

ABOUT GREGORYS COFFEE
Founded in 2006 in Manhattan, Gregorys Coffee is a coffee roaster created by Gregory Zamfotis and his family on the belief that good coffee, good food and good people fuel the every day. With more than 50 locations across the U.S., Gregorys has earned a loyal following of "Gregulars" by staying true to its roots: roasting high-quality, small-batch coffee, crafting fresh menu offerings in-house and creating a guest experience that is community-oriented and culture-driven. Made for those hustling toward their unique ambitions, Gregorys serves purpose when it matters most. Learn more about Gregorys at https://bit.ly/4dMVU9c. 

ABOUT CRAVEWORTHY BRANDS
Craveworthy Brands is a multi-brand restaurant platform and franchisor with more than 20 concepts and over 300 locations nationwide. Rooted in a hospitality-first philosophy and powered by people, product and process, the Company builds and scales emerging concepts and legacy brands through a shared infrastructure designed for intentional growth. Its mission is to create 100,000 success stories by 2035 – measured not just in units, but in lives changed across its system. Learn more about Craveworthy and its brands at https://bit.ly/4dTcch5.

SOURCE Craveworthy Brands