We count experience in openings. More than 1,400 of them.
Gramcor develops brands, franchises businesses and invests in the commercial real estate beneath them. The company is young by design, founded in 2018, but the experience behind it spans three decades of building franchise systems across North America.
Operators first. Owners always.
Gramcor did not start as a holding company with a thesis. It started with people running stores: managing labor, negotiating leases, watching build-outs slip and pulling them back on schedule. Three decades of that work, across restaurant, health and wellness, retail and service brands, is the foundation everything else stands on.
Today the portfolio reflects it. We are the franchisor of Dapper Doughnut in the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. We franchise THE DRIPBaR across Canada through our ownership stake in the company that holds the brand’s Canadian rights, and represent the brand across North Carolina. We are the multi-unit developer for CoreLife Eatery in the Carolinas and Virginia, where we also operate the restaurants ourselves. And we are building two concepts of our own: Hometown Daytime Restaurants and Sport Fundamentals.
We pair every brand decision with a real estate decision, structuring and sponsoring the commercial properties our businesses depend on, because the site decision and the operating decision are the same decision.
Gramcor is also built for the long term. The next generation of the founding family already works inside the company, in operations and in training, which gives franchisees, landlords and investors something rare: alignment, commitment and continuity measured in decades, not quarters.
What our motto means in practice.
Decisions without a queue
Inquiries reach a decision-maker, not a call center. We underwrite quickly, give a direct answer, and do not keep candidates or investors waiting for a process that was never going to end in yes.
Documented, not improvised
Territory plans, underwriting models, opening checklists and investor reporting are written down and repeatable. The same standard applies to a single unit and to a full syndication.
Plain answers, promptly
We return messages, explain the reasoning behind a decision and treat every party (franchisee, investor, landlord or guest) as someone whose time has value.
Built by operators. Strengthened by specialists.
Gramcor’s founders bring together decades of operating experience with expertise in management, education, psychology, health sciences, therapy and commercial real estate. Together, they have opened, operated and supported businesses from the unit level to national franchise systems.
Unlike many franchise organizations, our franchise support, operational systems, site selection, underwriting and investor communication are led in-house by the people who built the company, not outsourced to third-party consultants.
Gramcor is also a multi-generational company. George and Marilyn are the next generation of its leadership: already running operations, people and culture across the portfolio, and deliberately developing to take over. Succession is not a plan in a drawer here. It is in place and working. For franchisees signing ten-year agreements and investors underwriting long holds, that continuity is part of what you are buying.
Danny Grammenopoulos
Founder & CEO
Danny founded Gramcor after spending more than three decades building franchise systems and multi-unit businesses throughout North America. Over his career, he has contributed to the development of more than 1,400 business locations across restaurant, health and wellness, retail and service brands, making him one of the industry’s most experienced franchise development leaders.
A first-generation immigrant and the first in his family to graduate from college, Danny built his career through operations, franchising and entrepreneurship rather than the traditional corporate path. Today he leads Gramcor’s strategy, brand development, franchise growth, real estate investment and capital partnerships.
He also serves as a Director on Locate.ai’s real estate advisory team, and is the point of contact for franchise awards and for investors reviewing a Gramcor-sponsored transaction.
Disciplines
George Grammenopoulos
Co-Founder & VP, Operations
George combines advanced education in management, health sciences and therapy with hands-on operating experience across franchising, medical, restaurants and commercial real estate. His background includes commercial real estate brokerage, site selection, franchise operations and multi-unit business development, giving him a practical understanding of how successful businesses are built from the ground up.
He leads operational execution across Gramcor’s portfolio, overseeing site development, franchise support and operational standards while helping ensure every location is positioned for long-term success. He serves as VP Operations for THE DRIPBaR Canada and as a Director on Locate.ai’s real estate advisory team. He is the next generation of Gramcor’s leadership, and the succession plan is already in motion.
Credentials Scope
Marilyn Jackson
Co-Founder & VP, People & Culture
Marilyn brings graduate education in education together with academic training in psychology and health sciences, providing a unique combination of organizational development and people leadership. She has built the systems, training and support structure that allow Gramcor’s brands to scale while maintaining consistency across every location.
She leads onboarding, training, franchise support and organizational development, transforming operational knowledge into practical systems that franchisees and their teams can implement with confidence. With George, she represents the next generation of Gramcor’s leadership.
Credentials FocusOur team
Gramcor blends cross-generational operating experience: people who have worked units, opened territories, managed build-outs and handled investor reporting. We keep the team small and close to the work.
Franchise support, development and investor communication are handled by the same group that makes the decisions.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina · Operating across the U.S., Canada and the Dominican Republic · Contact us
Work with a company that answers directly.
Franchise candidates, investors and site owners all reach the same small team. A few lines is plenty to start.