Grumpy's Restaurant opened its sixth and largest Northeast Florida location Monday, Oct. 12, bringing its popular breakfast and brunch menu to Fleming Island.

The 5,352-square-foot restaurant at 1803 East-West Parkway occupies the former Dick's Wings and Grill space, which underwent renovations over the summer.

The new location can seat up to 190 customers, compared with 107 at each of the chain's other five restaurants, according to Clay Today, which reported on the opening.

First customers arrive before sunrise

Claude and Marie Hamel of Green Cove Springs were the first customers to arrive on opening day, pulling into the parking lot at 5 a.m., nearly 30 minutes before the restaurant opened.

The couple previously drove to Grumpy's Middleburg location for breakfast. The Fleming Island restaurant reduced their trip to just a few minutes.

"We've been waiting a long time for this to happen," Claude Hamel told Clay Today.

Father-and-son owners Dell Hoard Sr. and Dell Hoard Jr. operate both the Fleming Island and Middleburg restaurants.

Before the official opening, the Hoards hosted a two-day fundraising event Oct. 9-10 benefiting the First Coast YMCA and Fleming Island High School's football program.

Customers paid $18 for an entrée and a nonalcoholic beverage, with proceeds designated for the two organizations.

"We're still getting to a final number, but it's going to be between $13,000 and $14,000 that we'll split," Hoard Sr. told Clay Today.

The estimate had not been finalized at the time of the report.

The soft opening drew large crowds and several local officials, including state Sen. Jennifer Bradley, former state Sen. Rob Bradley, Clay County Commissioner John Sgromolo and Clay County School Board member Erin Skipper.

New restaurant features bar, party room and arcade games

The Fleming Island restaurant includes several amenities that distinguish it from the chain's smaller locations.

The restaurant features the brand's second full-service bar, a private party room accommodating approximately 20 to 30 guests and a free arcade area with classic games including Galaga and Pac-Man.

The main dining room includes 17 tables and 13 booths.

In a Sept. 24 preview published by Clay Today, Hoard Jr. discussed the challenges and opportunities of operating the larger restaurant.

"It was hard to turn down a spot like this," he said. "This is just a much bigger store. It's going to be a lot more to handle, but we're up to it, especially since we've had years at Middleburg to get ready for this."

The additional space allows the restaurant to accommodate more customers and larger gatherings than its other Northeast Florida locations.

Owners consider another location as chain expands

Grumpy's has built a following across Northeast Florida for its breakfast and brunch offerings.

Its Orange Park and Middleburg restaurants have received Best of Clay honors for breakfast and brunch for eight consecutive years, according to Clay Today. The chain has also received Bold City Best recognition in Jacksonville for nine consecutive years.

The Hoards told the publication they are planning a third restaurant under their ownership, although they have not announced a location or opening timeline.

The Fleming Island restaurant is open daily from 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.