John G's restaurant in Manalapan is planning to expand to other locations in South Florida. Photo provided
By Jan Norris
John G’s in Manalapan, a longtime favorite of locals, is cooking up franchise opportunities in South Florida.
An institution in Palm Beach County since 1973 when it debuted in the casino building in Lake Worth Beach, the restaurant was sold in May, and new owners are expanding the brand.
One is already in the works. The first new location will be in Port St. Lucie, with a projected opening in early September, according to general manager Napoleon Barone.
He would not name the precise location, he said, “until all is settled.”
Future locations could include Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, he said.
Plans are for at least nine John G’s to be in South Florida in the next five years.
“We’re planning to come south from Port St. Lucie — Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boca, maybe even into Miami.”
The restaurant moved to the Plaza Del Mar shopping center at Ocean Avenue and State Road A1A in 2011. It was sold by the original owners, the Giragos family, in 2019 to Parisians Doris and Laurent Di Meglio.
The Boca Raton couple are restaurateurs who made minimal changes to the menu. Their biggest switch was accepting credit cards.
In May, the couple sold the nautical-themed cafe, famous for its breakfasts and fish and chips, to a Canadian businessman.
The restaurant has strong ties to Palm Beach County, having served countless meals in its original spot fronting the Lake Worth pier.
It’s nostalgic for many diners who remember the long lines on weekends around the building, and trays of chocolate-covered fruits served by founder John Giragos as they stood in the hot sun.
There were no reservations; tourists, celebrities and locals put their names on the list and waited together for a seat. Fresh roses were on every table; long-time servers knew many guests by name and their favorite food order.
It was a family affair, as well, with John’s daughter Wendy Yarbrough handling front-of-house duties, and sons Jay and Keith cooking.
Best sellers off the menu included the cinnamon-nut French toast, and the fish and chips served with a unique tartar sauce, slaw and a corn fritter. On Fridays, the seafood chowder flew out of the kitchen.
For years, a take-out window for the restaurant at the beachfront sold bags of sliders, the two-piece “petite” order of fish and chips and a fritter, and soup containers of gazpacho.
At this time, there are no plans for out-of-state franchises, despite some interest in putting one in New York, his native home, Barone said.
“We’re not set up for that yet.”
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