MOORESVILLE — While it remains a possibility that Gray Bros. Cafeteria might relocate to another community, “it is our intention and hope to stay local to the area,” co-owner Jason Gray stated last week in an emailed response to questions from The Correspondent.
And if a relocation of the 80-year-old Mooresville business were to occur, it might not even be beyond Mooresville, Gray said.
“This could mean moving to a different location in the Mooresville community if it is a good business decision,” he stated. “This community helped shape the legacy Gray Brothers Cafeteria has, and we hope to continue that legacy with the people who have supported us throughout the years.”
Gray stressed that the initial announcement of the building’s sale was erroneously interpreted by some as meaning the business was closing. It has, instead, maintained its Tuesday-Sunday open hours — 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. — and plans to serve diners into the future.
The business has been located at the intersection of Ind. 67 and Indiana Street on Mooresville’s south side since the 1960s. It has become a community landmark known regionally for home cooking and tasty pies. Gray’s grandfather, Forest Gray, opened the original restaurant in downtown Mooresville in 1944.
A for-sale notice was posted online on Feb. 15, and a message on the Gray Bros. Cafeteria website at the time said: “While the increased cost of food ingredients and supplies has been beyond our control, we have seen a demand for our homestyle food in other communities. Moving to a location with more traffic will provide new opportunities for growth and profitably.”
That statement appeared under the heading “A New Chapter for Gray Bros. Cafeteria/GBC announces it’s moving.” The statement has since been removed from the website, replaced by an “Oops. Nothing was found” message.
In an update video posted online just before Easter, Gray, referring to Mooresville, says: “We love being here. It’s my job to make sure we’re fighting each and every day — that we don’t have to go anywhere. It’s not what I started here for. I started to carry on the legacies that have been going on for the last 80 years. We want to be here — to be a part of this community.”
That video appears under a label saying, “Gray Bros. Cafeteria hopes to stay local.”
Gray also says in the video: “I would love to be able to go out there one day and just dig up that for sale sign and say, ‘Nah, that’s not what’s gonna happen. We’re here and we’re gonna stay here.’”
The difference between the February statement and the current one, Gray said in his emailed answer, is: “Our viewpoint was later articulated, not altered.”
Gray said customers have rallied to the restaurant’s support. “We have seen a desire from the Mooresville community to stay local,” he said in the statement to The Correspondent.
“Our customers have memories of Gray Bros. Cafeteria that they cherish from childhood, family gatherings, special events, and regular visits. We have received an overwhelming response from the community. The demand is there for our hot, homestyle food.”
He also noted challenges restaurants now face.
“Between inflation, the cost of ingredients, and the change in the industry’s landscape over the past five years, there are a lot of obstacles,” Gray stated. “We have also noticed a shift in the overall family dining experience with the introduction of online ordering, delivery services, and carryout. We want to see families and friends gather around the table again for shared meals and community.”
The current Gray Bros. Cafeteria site consists of about 1,800 square feet of cooking, serving and dining space and another 5,000 square feet of warehouse space on five acres, according to a realty listing.
The asking price as of Tuesday showed $7.6 million in a MIBOR Realtor Association listing, down from the original for sale price of $10 million.
In November, the company expanded with the opening of Gray Bros. Baked Foods To Go in Avon, 1090 N. Avon Ave. The company for several months also has been offering a carryout franchise option to extend the brand.
“If there is a demand for additional Gray Bros. Cafeteria locations or Gray Bros. Cafeteria Baked Goods To Go locations, we would be happy to meet that need,” Gray said.
Reflecting on the past and the future, Gray said: “The 80 years of family tradition have been foundational to the Gray Brothers brand. We want to carry on those same legacies that have been going on for the last 80 years—as well as continue to evolve with the changing industry.”
