Eyes on the prize: Gregorys Coffee founder, Gregory Zamfotis, details a new era of US growth

From New York favourite to national star: for the past two years Gregorys Coffee has been quietly laying the groundwork for the most exciting venture in its two-decade journey. The specialty coffee group’s founder, Gregory Zamfotis, exclusively tells World Coffee Portal when, where and how this new era will unfold – and why competition is the clearest proof of concept

Gregorys Coffee has been perfecting the art of great coffee experiences for nearly 20 years. Founded by Gregory Zamfotis in 2006, Gregorys has become a fixture of New York’s fast-paced and competitive specialty coffee scene, where it now operates more than 20 locations.

With popularity has come expansion. Gregorys now operates 51 stores across 13 states, from California, to Arizona, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

For Zamfotis, preserving the coffee group’s focus on personable, high-quality hospitality experiences at scale has required a sustainable and disciplined approach to growth.

Specialty coffee was the first port of call. In 2024, Gregorys appointed former Back Bay Roasters, Coffee of Grace and Dell'Aria and Caffé Nero US executive, Jake Lionti, to relaunch its specialty coffee programme.

Since then, Gregorys’ Director of Coffee has wasted no time in making sure the specialty coffee group has the high-quality sourcing and supply chains to support future growth.

Next came investment. In August 2024, Gregorys partnered with multi-restaurant group Craveworthy Brands to step up its national growth agenda. Craverworthy’s operational expertise across 20 fast-casual brands laid the bedrock for a new era of franchised growth, which is now coming to fruition.

Where do you see the most opportunities in the US?

We see a prime opportunity in markets where specialty coffee is already part of the daily ritual – where guests will never compromise on quality, and hustle and grind are fuelled by a great cup of coffee.