With more than 110 locations currently in operation, restaurant chain Village Inn has 20 locations in Florida alone. And the chain appears to be at work on another location in Brandon: plan review paperwork was submitted by VI Brandon, LLC for a location at 11019 Causeway Boulevard.
The Village Inn website tells the story of this longstanding brand’s origin: “In 1958 the first Village Inn Pancake House opened its doors in Denver, Colorado and began offering what has since made us famous— made-from-scratch buttermilk pancakes, fresh eggs cooked any style, sizzling bacon and a pot of steaming hot coffee.”
Eventually, the brand began to spread across the country:
“More than once, vacationers in Denver stopped at Village Inn for a bite to eat and enjoyed it so much that they inquired about franchise opportunities before leaving. Such requests inspired co-founders Merton ‘Andy’ Anderson and Jim Mola to place an ad in The Wall Street Journal for prospective franchisees. Soon after, the first Village Inn franchise started operating in 1961, leading the way for successful franchise development.”
Brandon is already home to a Village Inn location: it’s currently situated only about 5 minutes east on Causeway Boulevard and is relocating to the Causeway Boulevard location, formerly occupied by Crispers.
“This new Village Inn has been completely reimagined, and will serve our legendary breakfast, lunch, and home-style dinners,” franchisee Danny Lehan told What Now. “We are excited to announce our entry into full espresso bar from Cafe Perez from Ybor City, limited Liquor service featuring beer and wines, and mimosas themed after our pies (get ready for these, like our fresh-made Key Lime mimosa, bloody Mary’s, and fresh white and red sangrias).”
Lehan also shared photos from another reimagined location, which opened in Largo back in March (see below).
You can keep up with Village Inn news by following @villageinn on Instagram.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated with more information and photos from franchisee Danny Lehan.
