Southern Grounds
Southern Grounds & Co. is a privately held, chef-driven coffeehouse chain founded in 2016 by Mark Janasik, operating eight cafés across Northeast Florida, Tampa Bay, and Charlotte, NC. The brand serves direct-trade Intelligentsia Coffee and scratch-kitchen meals throughout the day, and began franchising in 2025 targeting 12 Southeast states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNeptune Beach, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Southern Grounds does
Southern Grounds & Co. is a privately held, chef-driven coffeehouse chain founded in February 2016 by Mark Janasik in Neptune Beach, Florida. The company operates neighborhood cafés serving direct-trade Intelligentsia Coffee alongside a scratch kitchen program running from open until 9 PM, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner with bowls, grain plates, sandwiches, grass-fed beef burgers, salads, and a rotating chef's menu. Sourcing emphasizes premium and traceable partners including Brasstown Beef, Verlasso Salmon, Trader Hill Aquaponics Farm, Kilogram Tea, Plugrá Butter, and Makenu chocolate. The business operates through three revenue streams: in-store food and beverage sales across company-owned cafés, catering for off-premise events, and private event venue rentals ($2,000-$5,000 per buyout, capacity up to 200 guests).
As of the data provided, Southern Grounds runs eight locations across Northeast Florida (Neptune Beach, San Marco, Avondale, St. Augustine, Jacksonville Beach, San Pablo, Brooklyn), Tampa Bay (St. Petersburg opened August 2025), and Charlotte, NC (announced 2026). The first franchised unit opened in St. Petersburg in August 2025, and the company has since formalized a franchise program targeting 12 Southeast states with two investor tracks: multi-unit restaurant operators and family offices/PE investors. Franchise investment ranges from $740K to $1.7M per unit, and management reports Average Unit Volume of $1.8M+ versus a $600K industry average. Headcount is 101-250 employees, and the brand is positioned as a community-focused emerging chain in NRN reporting on regional Southeast coffee growth. The company is part of a five-concept hospitality group under founder Mark Janasik and remains privately held with no institutional investors, parent company, or public market activity disclosed.
Southern Grounds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern Grounds
- Legal name
- Southern Grounds & Co.
- Website
- https://southerngrounds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Southern Grounds & Co. is a privately held, chef-driven coffeehouse chain founded in 2016 by Mark Janasik, operating eight cafés across Northeast Florida, Tampa Bay, and Charlotte, NC. The brand serves direct-trade Intelligentsia Coffee and scratch-kitchen meals throughout the day, and began franchising in 2025 targeting 12 Southeast states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern Grounds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Specialty Coffeehouse
- NAICS
- Snack and Nonalcoholic Beverage Bars (722515), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (72232)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave) (THAFADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes (THAFADAB)
Keywords
Where Southern Grounds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Neptune Beach
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Southern Grounds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- In-Store Food and Beverage Sales: Full-day dining destination revenue from coffee beverages, espresso drinks, and chef-driven food menu including breakfast, lunch, and dinner service. Premium pricing supported by direct-trade Intelligentsia coffee and premium ingredients.
- Catering Services: Catering brings café-quality food and coffee to external events including morning meetings, working lunches, showers, birthdays, and celebrations. Order for pickup or delivery with custom menu options.
- Private Event Venue Rental: Venue rental for private events including full buyouts, partial buyouts, and patio rentals. Pricing ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on location and format. Capacity ranges from 30 to 200 guests.
- Franchise Fees: Franchise investment ranges from $740K to $1.7M per unit. Supports multi-unit development rights for qualified operators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Franchise Investment: $740K - $1.7M |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Private Event Venue Rental by Location |
| Unit Pricing | Monthly | Real Estate Costs (St. Petersburg Franchise) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Southern Grounds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern Grounds & Co. operates chef-driven neighborhood coffeehouses serving Intelligentsia direct-trade specialty coffee alongside a full scratch-kitchen menu running from open until 9 PM (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The brand extends this in-café experience through catering services for off-site events, private event venue rentals (30–200 guests), and a Southeast U.S. franchise program offering multi-unit development rights to qualified operators and investors.
Product overview
Southern Grounds & Co. operates as a chef-driven coffeehouse chain offering a unified hospitality experience. The core product is the neighborhood coffeehouse serving Intelligentsia Coffee and scratch-kitchen meals throughout the day. This core offering is extended through two service modules: Catering Services for off-site events and Private Events & Venues for in-location gatherings. The company also offers a Franchise program for expansion across the Southeast. The portfolio functions as a single integrated hospitality brand rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Southern Grounds & Co. Coffeehouse
Quantifiable outcome
- 3x industry average revenue per unit ($1.8M+ vs $600K industry average)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Southern Grounds
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southern Grounds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Southern Grounds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Southern Grounds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- La Colombe Coffee Roasters: Specialty coffee roaster and cafe operator with national presence; comparable in premium direct-trade coffee program and cafe-with-food positioning.
- Dutch Bros Coffee: Public specialty coffee drive-thru chain with deep Southeast presence; competes for the same franchisee pool and offers broader scale and capital intensity than Southern Grounds.
- Stumptown Coffee Roasters: Direct-trade third-wave coffee roaster and cafe operator (owned by Peet's); comparable in third-wave positioning and specialty sourcing partnerships relevant to Southern Grounds' Intelligentsia-led program.
Direct peers
- Scooter's Coffee: Franchise-led specialty coffee chain expanding rapidly across the U.S. with a similar kiosk/café hybrid model; named alongside Southern Grounds as a comparable emerging chain.
- Foxtail Coffee Co. Florida-based specialty coffee chain offering direct-trade coffee alongside a chef-driven food program and expanding via franchise across the Southeast — the closest comparable to Southern Grounds by geography, menu mix, and growth stage.
- 7 Brew: Aggressively franchising specialty coffee drive-thru chain explicitly cited alongside Southern Grounds in industry coverage; competes for the same Southeast franchisee and consumer pools.
- Black Rock Coffee Bar: Premium specialty coffee franchise expanding across multiple U.S. regions with a similar unit-volume and franchise-led growth playbook; comparable in customer experience positioning and unit economics.
- First Watch: Florida-founded chef-driven breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain with a similar scratch-kitchen daypart strategy; directly comparable in chef-led menu positioning and Florida heritage.
- Another Broken Egg Cafe: Chef-driven breakfast and lunch franchise with all-day scratch kitchen similar to Southern Grounds' food program; comparable franchise model and Southeast footprint.
Emerging players
- Vicious Biscuit: Chef-driven Southern breakfast franchise based in the Carolinas with a similar scratch-kitchen daypart strategy and emerging multi-state expansion; partial overlap in customer segment and franchise growth model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Southern Grounds social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern Grounds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern Grounds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Southern Grounds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern Grounds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern Grounds
What does Southern Grounds do?
Southern Grounds & Co. operates chef-driven neighborhood coffeehouses serving Intelligentsia direct-trade specialty coffee alongside a full scratch-kitchen menu running from open until 9 PM (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The brand extends this in-café experience through catering services for off-site events, private event venue rentals (30–200 guests), and a Southeast U.S. franchise program offering multi-unit development rights to qualified operators and investors.
Is Southern Grounds a public or private company?
Southern Grounds is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Southern Grounds founded?
Southern Grounds was founded in 2016. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Southern Grounds based?
Southern Grounds is headquartered in Neptune Beach, United States, in the North America region.
How does Southern Grounds make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. In-Store Food and Beverage Sales are the primary driver. The others are catering Services, private Event Venue Rental and franchise Fees.
Who are Southern Grounds's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are La Colombe Coffee Roasters, Dutch Bros Coffee and Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Direct peers are Scooter's Coffee, Foxtail Coffee Co., 7 Brew, Black Rock Coffee Bar, First Watch and Another Broken Egg Cafe. Vicious Biscuit is listed as an emerging player.
Does Southern Grounds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern Grounds.
What industry is Southern Grounds in?
Southern Grounds's product category is Specialty Coffeehouse. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFADAA, Specialty Coffee Shops (Single-Origin, Third-Wave), with a secondary code of THAFADAB, Coffee Chains & Franchise Cafes. Its NAICS code is 722515 and its SIC code is 5810.