A Florida-based café chain built around made-to-order New Orleans-style beignets and specialty coffee is headed to Northgate Plaza on State Route 3, putting its first Ohio location squarely on the southern Delaware County border.
Beignets & Brew plans to open at 7381 State Route 3 in Westerville, near the Maxtown Road intersection, according to 1808Delaware, which reported the expansion Aug. 12. The address sits in Delaware County along one of the busiest commercial corridors serving Powell, Lewis Center and southern Delaware County shoppers.
The storefront was previously occupied by GNC, which has closed at that location. Northgate Plaza also houses a Kroger and a mix of restaurants and retailers.
No opening date has been announced.
The company's website lists the Westerville location as "Coming Soon," and Visit Westerville places the opening sometime in 2026. The café has begun advertising for a general manager, a sign that buildout preparations are advancing. The chain estimates new locations take 90 to 180 days to open once a lease is signed, according to its franchising page.
Who's behind it
Husband-and-wife co-founders Chris and Shannon Kramolis launched Beignets & Brew in Destin, Florida, in May 2023. In roughly three years the company has grown to 25 locations with 14 more in the works, 614NOW reported. The founding team includes restaurant entrepreneurs who previously built a chain of more than 1,600 units, according to the company's franchising page.
The identities of the local franchise operators for the Westerville café have not been disclosed.
What's on the menu
The signature item is a square of fried dough served warm under powdered sugar, made to order. Specialty varieties include Nutella, cinnamon sugar, Cinna-Swirl and Turtle beignets topped with caramel, chocolate, cream cheese drizzle and pecans. Dipping sauces range from blueberry and buttercream to honey and Nutella.
On the coffee side, the house drip, Bayou Bold, blends beans from Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala and Indonesia. A chicory blend and café au lait lean into the New Orleans theme, while specialty lattes include Biscoff Cookie Butter, Honey-Cinna Lavender and Salted Caramel Mocha. Most drinks come hot, iced or frozen.
Savory options include chicken tenders paired with powdered-sugar beignets and maple syrup, a breakfast croissant with egg, cheese and bacon or sausage, and a honey-butter chicken croissant.
More coffee competition on the corridor
The Westerville opening adds another specialty coffee option to a stretch of State Route 3 already thick with drive-thrus and cafés. It arrives as 7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee chain, prepares to open Sept. 21 on W. Powell Road, less than four miles north.
A second Ohio Beignets & Brew location is planned for 2495 Hilliard Rome Road in Silver Horn Center. Both locations are hiring, according to Columbus Navigator.
Typical franchise investments run $250,000 to $450,000 for spaces of 800 to 2,000 square feet. Whether the Westerville café will serve alcohol, as some existing locations do, has not been announced. Both locations are actively hiring as of mid-August, and residents can track opening updates at beignetsandbrew.com.
