Listen to this article

Turning Point Restaurants continues to expand beyond its Jersey Shore roots.

Amid a streak of corporate and franchise growth, the popular breakfast, brunch and lunch concept aims to have 40 locations open in the Mid-Atlantic region by the end of 2025. Currently, the 26-year-old brand has 28 restaurants operating across New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

In a Sept. 16 press release, the chain shared several recent developments, including:

• The start of construction on two corporate-owned stores in Florida: Boynton Beach and Wellington.
• Preparations are underway to open two corporate locations in the Richmond, Va., market by the first quarter of 2025.

Along with adding new corporate operated units, existing franchisees are at various stages of launching locations in Pennsylvania (Lancaster, Collegeville and Harrisburg). Additionally, lease negotiations are underway for two New Jersey multiunit franchises: Old Tappan, New Providence, Jersey City, Deptford and Cinnaminson.

Turning Point also noted that the pipeline in its two-year-old franchise program remains “extremely active with many discussions underway for new markets in Maryland, Connecticut, Central and West Coast Florida.”

Additionally, the brand’s corporate team is strengthening its foundation at home. Earlier this year, Turning Point opened a two-story facility in Ocean Township. While the ground level serves as a testing restaurant, the company’s headquarters occupies the second floor. It also includes franchisee training space and conference rooms as well as office space for administrative staff and leadership.

Founded in Little Silver, Turning Point aims to reimagine the breakfast, brunch and lunch experience by offering an approachable creative menu with seasonal options served in a home-like environment.

Featured dishes include cinnamon roll pancakes, Key West shrimp omelet, cheesecake French toast and lobster eggs Benedict. Turning Point also has unique sandwiches and healthy salads for lunch, plus a selection of gourmet hot teas and fresh roasted coffee.

Long-term planning

According to Turning Point founder and CEO Kirk Ruoff, the expansion effort has been a long time coming and partly due to a February 2019 investment. Terms of the deal with Philadelphia-based private equity firm NewSpring Capital were not disclosed.

Ruoff said the transaction served as an accelerator for future projects, while also allowing him to maintain a majority stake.

“We’re no longer thinking about our future as where we’re going to be in two years with 10 more stores, but where we want to be in five to seven years with 50 more stores,” said Ruoff. “We believe the foundation we’ve spent 26 years building has prepared us for the growth to come.”

He added, “For us it’s all about smart, steady growth. We’re fully capable of opening and operating these new locations ourselves, but if the right franchisee prospect came in, we would certainly explore a partnership. We are very selective with who we bring in. We are looking for operators that share our passion for delivering a high-quality breakfast and lunch experience.”

David Vazquez and Eric Brandow opened the brand’s first franchised restaurant in Upper Dublin, Pa., in May 2022. They described Turning Point as a “proven concept that is executed exceptionally.”

“Nowadays, it’s rare to find a quality brand you can trust … This company is dedicated to opening new restaurants that are profitable, manageable, and well-loved by the community,” they said.

Now open or coming soon:

• Holy Cow Burgers set to open in Woodland Park
• Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers plans 4 Monmouth restaurants
• Dave’s Hot Chicken launching 5th NJ restaurant
• Sweetgreen adds 2nd Bergen County store