Danny and Earl McPherson opened the doors to their first location of Brunches at the end of 2019, not long before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the U.S.

The Southern, brunch-focused restaurant, 6800 Parker Farm Drive at Mayfaire Community Center, thrived, and the owners were able to open a second Brunches in Wilmington at 3326 Jaeckle Drive off Randall Parkway. 

These days, they’re working on making it a trio, with the latest Brunches on its way to The Pointe at Barclay in midtown Wilmington. 

Brunches has leased 3,500 square feet, along with a large outdoor patio space, in a building at The Pointe, a commercial complex off South 17th Street and Independence Boulevard.

“Before COVID hit, we had grand plans of reaching 50 locations, and we haven't changed that expectation at all,” Danny McPherson said Tuesday. “Our staff has really been the driving force behind that ... they've just really stepped up and excelled, and they're the reason why we've been able to expand and the reason why we're opening a third location here in Wilmington, what we think will be really our signature store in Wilmington.”

He said the Brunches team is taking lessons learned from opening the Brunches off Randall Parkway last year in the midst of the pandemic and applying them to the new location.

“That's why we're really focusing on a first-class outdoor patio – it’s something we've seen as a trend. Even though we believe the pandemic's behind us, it's just something that people enjoy, and they always have in Wilmington; there's never enough outdoor eating space,” Danny McPherson said.

He said the most popular dish at Brunches is the Chicken Biscuit Supreme, which includes two hand-breaded and fried chicken breasts served over biscuits and topped with eggs and sausage gravy.  

“Another must-try when visiting Brunches is our grits. And as we try to provide our customers with a genuine Sunday brunch experience seven days a week, we also feel that a creative brunch cocktail is just as important as a great meal,” Danny McPherson said. 

Beverage options include mimosa flights, which have four different flavors of mimosas to try, bloody marys and the Twisted Espresso, made of Van Gogh Espresso Vodka, Baileys and cold brew in a chocolate-swirled mason jar and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.

Danny McPherson said the new Brunches location is a group effort, a group that includes McPherson, The Pointe at Barclay developers Cameron Properties Land Co. of Wilmington and Collett, a Charlotte-based retail development firm. 

“Obviously, opening up restaurants right now is a challenge for many different reasons – staffing, supply chain – but this is really a collaborative effort between developer, builder and restaurant owner to bring something that's going to be successful to Wilmington and more specifically to The Pointe at Barclay,” he said.

Danny McPherson said Tuesday that he hopes to open the third Brunches location by late spring 2022. Brunches is using Jasper Newman of Newman Brothers Construction for its contractor and Adam Oaks with Goodrich Architecture.

Hill Rogers, broker in charge with Cameron Management, who worked with Brunches on the lease at The Pointe at Barclay, said, “I think this is going to be another great offering for The Pointe and another amenity for tenants, residents and businesses in the Barclay area.”