Cleveland is getting its first taste of Keke's Breakfast Cafe, the Florida-born daytime diner chain known for scratch-made pancakes and hand-cracked eggs, after longtime fans Nick and Umesh Patel signed a five-unit development agreement to bring the concept to the city. The deal marks Keke's first entry into Ohio's largest metro and comes as the brand chases an aggressive national expansion plan that has pushed it past 80 locations.
According to 1851 Franchise, Nick Patel first discovered Keke's after a 26-hour flight home from India in 2016, and after living in Florida for 12 years, the cafe became part of his weekly routine. He said he wanted to bring that same guest experience to Cleveland, and the five-unit agreement he and Umesh Patel signed gives them the framework to do it. The pair are now working toward opening their first Cleveland-area location, though a specific site or opening date has not been announced.
A Scratch Kitchen With No Microwaves
Keke's built its reputation on a single-shift model, operating from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and serving breakfast and lunch staples like pancakes, waffles, French toast, omelets, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and salads, per the same 1851 Franchise report. The chain's kitchens notably skip microwaves altogether, instead preparing everything fresh to order with hand-cracked eggs, real butter, and house-made whipped cream, according to Restaurant Business Magazine. The brand's roots trace back to 2006, when Philadelphia native brothers Kevin and Keith Mehan combined the first syllables of their names to launch the concept in Orlando.
Keke's currently operates across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Nevada, Texas, Colorado, and California, the 1851 Franchise report notes, and the Cleveland deal represents its formal push into the Midwest. Ardag Tachian, Keke's senior director of franchise development, welcomed Nick and Umesh Patel as multi-cafe developers in the market, the outlet reported. Keke's is also exploring additional Ohio markets including Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati as part of its broader growth strategy.
Denny's Backing Fuels a National Growth Push
Keke's aggressive expansion traces back to its 2022 acquisition by Denny's Corporation, which paid $82.5 million to buy the then-52-unit chain from K2 Restaurants Inc., according to a filing with the SEC. Denny's wanted a daytime-only concept to complement its own 24/7 diner model, and the backing has paid off: Keke's has set an annual footprint growth target of 25% to 30% and has secured more than 140 development commitments nationwide, Restaurant Business Magazine reports. Denny's itself is now heading toward private ownership, having agreed to a $620 million buyout led by TriArtisan Capital Advisors and Treville in November 2025, according to FSR Magazine, with Keke's expected to remain a separate operating brand through the transition.
Franchised Keke's restaurants averaged $2,089,007 in net annual sales in 2024, with the top half of reporting locations averaging $2,589,666, all generated within a daily operating window of just 7.5 hours.
Competing With an Established Daytime Rival
In entering Cleveland, the Patels will be stepping into a market already anchored by daytime-dining leader First Watch, which operates several locations in Greater Cleveland and reported $1.2 billion in total revenue for fiscal 2025, according to a related Hoodline report on First Watch's own expansion strategy. Both chains focus squarely on the morning and early afternoon daypart, closing their doors by 2:30 p.m., which sets up Cleveland as fresh competitive turf for the two concepts.
To help differentiate itself and boost guest checks, Keke's has rolled out an updated prototype store design and introduced brunch alcohol offerings under corporate ownership, including mimosas, sangrias, and peach Bellinis, Restaurant Business Magazine reports. Those additions reportedly contributed to a 6.5% average check size increase in early 2025. Whether the Cleveland cafes will feature the refreshed design and full cocktail menu has not yet been detailed by the franchisor.
Keke's Ohio ambitions were first signaled earlier this year when the chain targeted the Dayton area for its initial entry into the state, a plan Hoodline covered in Florida chain's Dayton debut push. The Cleveland agreement now stands as the brand's formal entrance into the state, with the Patels' five cafes set to anchor Keke's presence in Northeast Ohio as the company continues scouting Columbus and Cincinnati for what could be its next moves in the Midwest.
