Greg Zamfotis grew up in the food and beverage industry. When we say grew up, we mean he was helping his father, who owned several food operations in New York City, in the kitchen at just five years old.
Greg’s original plan was to work as a banker or a lawyer, grow his funds and then start a business. While attending law school, his dream of owning his own business took hold and didn’t let go… as a result, Gregory’s Coffee was born.
“I always dreamed of starting my own business; it just took me a while to figure out what business that was,” Greg said. “I grew up in the food and beverage industry. I always helped my father – from swatting flies at three years old to shaving carrots at five; somehow, he allowed me to do deliveries as a seven-year-old and later assist in management. I grew up in this.”
Greg’s father had a deli near school that needed a full-time manager – this is where Greg got his first taste as an entrepreneur.
“I worked with my father for 15 years, but always with the mindset of helping him. I would approach the opportunity this time by thinking about it as a career,” he said. “I loved the experience but wanted to create something of my own. At that point, I took my experience in food operations and my budding passion for coffee and decided to develop a coffee concept.”
The first Gregory’s – there are now 46 across the U.S. – opened in 2006 at 327 Park Ave. South in the Madison Square Park area of Manhattan. Of those 46, there is now one in Arizona – at the Phoenix Premium Outlets in Chandler – which opened in July 2024.
Gregory’s Coffee’s motto is “Start at coffee, stop at nothing.” The business takes coffee seriously and takes pride in offering a variety of delicious foods and non-coffee beverages. Over the last five years, it has also expanded its plant-based offerings.
The shop has over 40 beverage choices, including classic drinks like espresso, cold brew, macchiato and mocha, as well as signature sips like the Honey Badger with handcrafted cold brew, almond milk and honey or the Hall & Oats: cold brew with creamy oat milk, cinnamon and vanilla.
Gregory’s has direct trade partners and distributors they work with to source coffee, mainly from Central and South America. They offer rotating single-origin coffees, the latest of which is Ethiopia Ardi. Matcha, chai, iced/hot tea and summer refresher drinks are available.
On the food side, Gregory’s offers pastries, breakfast sandwiches, egg white bites, burritos, parfaits, power bites, and more. Guests can pick up a signature coffee cup, mug, or Gregory’s brand coffee beans. More merch will be added soon.
“We want to continue to bring our incredible mission of seeing coffee differently to more communities across the country,” Marketing Director Rene Puerta said. “We’re eyeing continued growth and openings in new states as part of our partnership with Simon Property Group and will continue to grow within our existing markets.”
Gregory’s Coffee is located at 4976 Premium Outlets Way in Chandler. For more information, visit https://gregoryscoffee.com/.
