From the start, the people behind the Brunches restaurants had big plans for the breakfast-and-lunch concept with the “Mimosas Made Me Do It” motto.
Danny McPherson said they're growing to dozens of locations around the Southeast. The newest of them is now at 300 N. Lake Park Blvd. in Carolina Beach. It’s a little different than the rest and signals some changes to come. Here’s a look at what they have planned.
Dinner and a view
The full name of the new location is Brunches at Federal Point Grill, and it adds dinner service and (to take advantage of marina views) a rooftop bar. The look combines the bright-and-bubbly branding of Brunches with nautical navy touches.
The popular Brunches menu is available 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“From 3-4:30, we do a happy hour transition,” McPherson said. “And from 4:30-9, it’s dinner, with fun drinks.”
It’s something they could add to other locations, too.
“We’re still going to grow the Brunches brand. That’s the big picture,” he said. “But for select operators and select locations, which we are working on both in town and out of town, we will have dinner.”
The Federal Point Grill menu includes appetizers like crab dip and tuna poke, as well as seafood mac and cheese, hand-cut ribeyes and Wagyu meatloaf entrees.
“At dinner, it’s very chef driven,” he said. “The idea is variety. We want the creativity, while also offering the greatest hits.”
Coffee shops
McPherson also said designing and permitting has started for a new coffee shop concept. The first is planned for the former Healthy James Meal Prep & Smoothie Cafe location at 5424 Oleander Drive in Wilmington, near K38 Baja Grill.
“We want to marry the Brunches concept with something like Starbucks,” he said. “We’re thinking we’ll have our five greatest hits. You can get something fresh and fast, not just microwaved... and with the gourmet coffee.”
The menu could include their popular Chicken Biscuit Supreme, Chicken & Waffles, and elevated breakfast sandwiches.
Private labels
A core Brunches mission, McPherson said, is employee focused. They have team leads in the kitchen and on the service floor, rather than managers. They aim to provide a healthy working environment and a way for talented people to advance in the company. New locations and coffee shops could be a part of that, he said. Another is expanding into branded products.
“Our private label coffee will be Grind with Gratitude,” he said. “We will distribute and sell in stores and sell to other coffee houses, too.”
He’s also started the often-difficult process of joining the wine business. Specifically, sparkling wine.
“This year, Brunches will sell almost 100,000 bottles of champagne,” he said.
McPherson said they’ve been talking to a large-scale winemaker create Brunches bubbles. He’s hoping to have plans finalized for both products next year.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.
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