De Leon Springs pancake restaurant reopens to guests for cook-your-own experience

After some needed renovations and a change in vendors, the beloved pancake restaurant at De Leon Springs State Park has reopened for guests.

The restaurant reopened Monday morning as breakfast enthusiasts trickled in the door following a five-week closure, during which the historic building got a new roof and other upgrades. Guest Services, Inc. is setting up operations in the park after outbidding longtime concessionaire Schwarze Enterprises for a new 10-year contract with the state.

“We’ve designed new tables; they’re more efficient. We have new flooring. We have a bigger retail area. We have three new jumbo fans,” said Matt Smith, the Florida district manager for Guest Services. “We’ll offer some more things down the road, but we’re pretty much offering the same menu with a few small changes for the better.”

What was formerly known as the Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant is now called the Old Sugar Mill Pancake House, a change made partially at the behest of the state park. The Spanish had nothing to do with the construction of the building; it was built by plantation owner “Colonel” Orlando Rees. The current building is actually a 100-year-old replica of the original 1830s sugar mill.

The contract between Guest Services and the state makes clear that the concessionaire must maintain the traditional experience of “‘cook your own’ pancakes which guests will prepare at the table, by means of a griddle recessed into the table surface.”

The company has made good on that promise with brand-new tables and capacity for 90-100 diners, though GSI hopes to expand that with a larger screened-in back patio. In addition, the restaurant is expanding its operating hours.

“We open at 8 a.m. when the park opens and will close by 4 or 5 p.m. determined by volume,” Smith said. “The walk-up window will continue to be open after the restaurant closes, and we’ll open a small snack shop down by the water.”

While the pancake recipe did not carry over from the previous vendor, diners commented on the thickness or volume of the five-grain pancakes, a change they saw as positive.

“It was great,” commented Constance Johnson, a neighbor of the state park. “The pancakes come up thicker.”

“They taste good, everything is great. They’ve got some learning to do because this is different from a normal restaurant,” said Lewis Johnson. “We’ll see where they are after the first of the year. They’re listening, they’re willing to hear from guests and make adjustments.”

While some of the staff are new, four or five employees decided to continue working with the restaurant under the park’s new vendor. Smith said all of the previous concessionaire’s employees were given the chance to apply for jobs.

He also added that while Guest Services is headquartered in Virginia, the company’s hospitality office is in Naples and that approximately 40 percent of the company’s work force is employed in Florida. The concessionaire has a presence at other Florida destinations including Blue Spring, Hontoon Island, Weeki Wachee and Rainbow Springs state parks.

Guest Services is revamping amenities for visitors in other areas of the park, including a small retail space in the visitor center with souvenirs and additional rental offerings.

“We’re looking at providing cabana rentals. We’ll have rentals of kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, tubes and snorkeling equipment,” Smith said. “We’re bringing in a different tour boat with capacity for 38 passengers, versus 21 or 22 previously.”

Boat tours and rentals are temporarily on hold as park staff waits for water levels to recede after Hurricane Ian.

While the restaurant just reopened to guests for the cook-your-own pancake experience Oct. 17, park staff expect larger crowds during upcoming weekends. Smith and his team are eager to show off the improvements.

“At the end of the day, we brought the restaurant up to speed with more modern stuff,” Smith said. “It’s a privilege to be here.”

If you go

The pancake restaurant can be found in De Leon Springs State Park, 601 Ponce Deleon Blvd. in De Leon Springs, 386-985-4212. Entry fees for the state park are $6 per vehicle (two to eight people), $4 for single-occupant vehicle, $4 for motorcycle and $2 for a pedestrian, bicyclist and extra passengers.

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