A new major player is entering San Antonio’s ongoing brunch food fight. Florida breakfast Keke's Breakfast Cafe has signed a six-unit franchising deal to introduce the quickly growing concept to Alamo City.

Brothers Keith and Kevin Mahen founded the Keke’s in 2006, combining the first two letters of each of their names. According to the company, the siblings could not find an Orlando café that rivaled the diners in their native Philadelphia, so they decided to open a restaurant of their own.

Although the chain steadily expanded throughout the 2010s, it was mostly a regional favorite. That all changed when breakfast behemoth Denny’s acquired the brand in 2022 for a reported $82.5 million. Denny’s decided to go all-in on the chain, investing in more markets even as it was closing more than 100 underperforming locations of its flagship restaurant.

The two concepts are not that different. Both offer pancakes, stuffed French toast, and hefty omelets. But where Denny’s menu riffs on diner classics like steak and eggs, Keke’s has introduced Millennial-friendly dishes like avocado toast and breakfast bowls.

And Keke’s is a player in the all-day brunch scene, competing against a slew of buzzy chains entering the San Antonio market. That means guests can get moony while they slam a few mimosas instead of washing down a Moons Over My Hammy with plain orange juice.

The San Antonio Keke’s will come from longtime friends and restaurant novices Danny Ohioze and Adebiyi Wale. After immigrating from Nigeria around 15 years ago, both built careers in the tech sector — but that trajectory changed after Wale stumbled on a downtown Dallas location.

"We walked in, and it looked fantastic," Wale explained in a release. "We sat down, the food was great, and immediately my wife started talking about how good the food looked. Before we even got the food, I texted Danny and said, 'We need to open this business.'"

Wale and Ohioze do not yet have a target date and are still scouting locations, but have no doubts about their ambitious opening strategy — even in a market where national newcomers like The Toasted Yolk, Pür & Simple, Squeeze In, and Another Broken Egg Cafe are jostling with locals like Box St. All Day and Sunny’s All Day.

"This is a very family-oriented city, and people are always looking for breakfast or lunch," said Ohioze. "There are only a handful of places that are doing it excellently well, and their waitlists are always super long. That tells me there is a market for these services."