A scratch-kitchen brunch restaurant is firing up the grill at a second location in Neptune.
Maple House, owned by Anthony Degrande and his mother, Lisa Dalton, will debut next year at 75 S. Main St. The new location will join the restaurant’s flagship in Oceanport, which opened in May.
While searching for the restaurant’s first location, Degrande told Whatnow Philadelphia the team came across the second space, a former Rite Aid in need of extensive work and restructuring. Nevertheless, they jumped at the opportunity.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be ready for a long time, but in Monmouth County, good real estate is hard to come by, so when you come across something, either you have to move on it or lose it. We said, ‘Hey! We’ll commit to that,’” he said.
The upcoming space will carry the same “elevated, upscale” yet approachable Maple House aesthetic.
“The big thing we have in Oceanport is not only do we have breakfast and brunch, but we have a separate entrance that goes directly to our coffee bar. We made sure our food is good, but that the coffee is something that is just as important. That’ll be the same for Neptune,” Degrande said.
Compared with the Oceanport location, the Neptune space will be significantly larger, spanning 4,300 square feet indoors with 120 seats, plus a patio. The expanded footprint will also allow Maple House to offer more menu items.
The breakfast menu features pancakes, including the option to order a pancake flight, as well as French toast, avocado toast, skillets, omelets, Benedicts and breakfast sandwiches. The lunch menu follows with wraps, salads and handhelds.
As a lifelong local, Degrande looks forward to bringing the concept to the town he calls home.
“It’s exciting to integrate ourselves into somewhere that we’re from. Every place in the area has been there for [an upward of] 50 years. Us coming to the area, it’ll be all eyes on us as the new business coming in. It can be scary but also a good thing,” he said.
Degrande sees working alongside his mother as an extra perk.
“It’s something we both enjoy and we’re able to do it together. It’s really cool,” he said.
Construction is currently underway, but Degrande expects the space to be ready next year, just in time for another Jersey Shore summer.
Visit the Maple House website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
