Gregorys Coffee, the New York City-born specialty coffee brand partnered with Craveworthy Brands, has officially signed its first-ever franchise agreement. The landmark deal brings the brand full circle, as the inaugural franchise operator is a longtime former employee and family member: Stavros Zamfotis.
Stavros—the younger cousin of company founder Gregory Zamfotis—spent nine years working his way up through every operational tier of the business. Starting his career behind the counter as a barista, he eventually rose to the rank of district manager, where he oversaw eight locations and helped scale the brand from five to 36 storefronts across New York and New Jersey. Now a business owner, the New Jersey native plans to debut his first franchise location in Bergen County.
For the Zamfotis family, the agreement represents a deeply rooted passion for the brand rather than a simple corporate expansion. Stavros watched his cousin grow Gregorys from a singular Manhattan coffee shop into a powerhouse specialty coffee roaster with more than 50 locations nationwide.
“My heart has always been with Gregorys,” Stavros Zamfotis said. “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.”
Founder Gregory Zamfotis echoed the sentiment, noting that having a homegrown operator take the lead ensures the company’s core values remain intact.
“He didn’t just work here; he lived this brand with us,” the founder stated. “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.”
Gregorys Coffee officially joined the Craveworthy Brands portfolio in 2025 and launched its corporate franchise development program earlier this year. By entering the system as a franchise owner, Stavros will leverage Craveworthy’s centralized shared services platform, which provides turnkey infrastructure support across:
- Operations and frontline training
- Culinary innovation and supply chain logistics
- Real estate acquisition, technology, and regional marketing
“Stavros is what a Craveworthy success story looks like,” Gregg Majewski, founder and CEO of Craveworthy Brands said. “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.”
