Bittersweet
De Leon Springs pancake restaurant slated to reopen with new vendor this fall
Volusia County visitors pining for pancakes have traveled from far and wide, lining up as early as 5:30 a.m., just for a chance to eat at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant within De Leon Springs State Park. This weekend should prove especially crowded, as it’s the last weekend park patrons can experience the establishment under the longtime concessionaire of 61 years.
What has always been a popular and unique eatery has seen a surge in popularity in recent weeks following the news that Schwarze Enterprises, the company behind the restaurant since 1961, lost the bid to renew their contract at the park.
Instead, Guest Services, Inc. was chosen as the winner to take over park concessions, which include the restaurant, gift shop, boat tour and kayak rentals. According to a statement from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, “independent evaluators” ranked GSI’s bid as number one of five proposals; Schwarze Enterprises was ranked fourth.
Based in Fairfax, Virginia, Guest Services, Inc. manages 250 hotels, lodges and concessions at state parks and national parks across the United States — including Florida’s Blue Spring and Hontoon Island state parks.
Since the Old Spanish Sugar Mill shared news on Facebook that the restaurant would be “closing” — a post that has been shared more than 12,000 times — there’s been a flurry of activity at the park, all in the name of make-your-own-pancakes.
Technically, the restaurant is closing on Sept. 12 — but only temporarily for renovations — as Schwarze Enterprises wraps up operations in the park, and the restaurant is slated to reopen under the new vendor on Oct. 1.
“The restaurant’s famous cookyour-own pancakes will still be available in the authentic, sugar
mill building,” said Alexandra Kuchta, press secretary for the Florida DEP, in a previous email statement.
Since the news of this management change first broke, breakfast seekers have traveled from Jacksonville, Pensacola, Miami, Sebastian, St. Petersburg and even Georgia. Visitors have flocked to the park on personal watercraft, a float plane and even a helicopter, which requested (but was denied) permission to land in the park.
The ripple effects of the Old Spanish Sugar Mill’s popularity have been felt throughout the community. When wait times skyrocket or the park reaches capacity, Twin Brothers Bakery, which sits about two miles south of the park and offers European pastries, has seen an uptick in customers.
“Business was good, and now it’s super. In the last
couple of weeks, business has been a bit higher,” said owner Lily Buza. “People are remembering there’s a place outside the park to eat. They can support the community.”
However, many visitors remain laser-focused on pancakes. Weekends have proven especially popular for travelers from afar, while locals have sought out the restaurant on weekdays.
“When we have out-oftown guests, we always bring them here. I’m probably here about 10 times a year,” said Pam Susman of Ormond Beach. “It’s too bad, these people have been here forever and they’ve done such a great job … I feel very passionate about this place.”
On what might otherwise be a quiet Wednesday in late August, the wait time for a table rose to more than three hours within an hour of the restaurant opening. On busy weekends, some guests have waited as long as seven hours for a spot.
“We’ve had a ton of people
coming out for the first time. Probably 30 percent of visitors on any given day now are brand-new visitors,” said John Michaelos, the restaurant’s managing partner and current owner of Schwarze Enterprises. “Come early. On the weekends, we’re at capacity for the day by about 9 in the morning. On the weekdays, we’re full for the day by about 10.”
From Michaelos’ perspective, the restaurant is, in fact, closing and will be replaced by something that will aim to provide a similar service. He pointed out that what moves into the historic space will not technically be the same eatery.
Some longtime fans worry that pancake prices will go up, the food won’t be quite the same or that the new restaurant won’t live up to what they’ve come to know and love. There’s a concern among those who understand the proprietary pancake recipes won’t carry over to the new concessionaire.
Other park visitors were relieved to know that the space isn’t closing entirely as some were initially led to believe.
It’s not immediately clear if Guest Services, Inc. plans to keep the name or retain any of the same servers and chefs that have been working at the establishment for, in some cases, decades.
Though it’s bittersweet for Michaelos and his team to end this chapter of De Leon Springs State Park history, he’s thankful for the impact this eatery has had.
“I’m flattered that this many people are coming out to say goodbye,” Miachelos said. “We’ve touched the hearts of a lot of people and they’re coming out by the thousands.”