In the early 1990s, a teenage Doris Maples was hired by her good friend and mentor, Pete Avgerinos, and his wife, Debora, to work at their Brownsburg restaurant, Elegance.
She loved it. Doris enjoyed talking with people and serving them, and even after moving away, she never lost touch with the Avgerinos.
When she returned to Brownsburg in 2000 — now married and the mother of her first child — Maples began staying home with her children (there were eventually three) and worked weekends as a server at the Avgerinos’ first Flapjacks restaurant in town.
It was hard work, but Doris enjoyed it so much that she and her husband began talking about opening their own restaurant and went to Avgerinos for advice.
He laughed at first, knowing just how difficult the business was, but he also helped the young family with the next steps.
“Pete helped my mom open her first restaurant at 10th Street and Girls School Road in Indianapolis. It was a Flapjacks at the time,” Doris’ daughter, Dylan Maples, said. “Mom ended up buying Pete out of that first Flapjacks, and eventually Pete said, ‘It’s time to make this your own thing.’”
She did just that.
The first The Breakfast Co. opened in Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 2018. A second followed in Greencastle, another in Zionsville, and the Flapjacks on 10th Street was rebranded as The Breakfast Co. as well.
During the pandemic, the Zionsville location was sold, and by 2022, Brownsburg became The Breakfast Co.’s newest location, with Dylan Maples serving as the general manager.
Dylan has been there through it all, and it’s safe to say she has the same love for people and customer service as her mom.
“I was 6 when they opened the first one,” Maples said. “I started out as a dishwasher, and my sister, two cousins and I would rotate between doing dishes and hosting. We always wanted to be out front because we wanted to talk to people. As we proved ourselves, they taught us the register, bussing and everything else. They wanted us to know how to do everything so if someone called off, we would all be in a position to fill in.”
By the time she was 16, Maples began serving, a position to be earned after displaying enough responsibility and maturity. After graduating from high school in June 2022, Maples became manager of the Brownsburg location that July.
It’s a big leap to go from high school to restaurant manager, but Maples said her mom was there every step of the way, guiding her and slowly passing on more responsibility.
Though she knew the restaurant business well, Maples wasn’t sure what her future held until she had the opportunity to manage her own Breakfast Co.
“I thought I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. I also wanted to take a gap year, so I started here in Brownsburg and just loved it so much I never left. I love the people. I love the staff. I don’t want to go anywhere else,” Maples said.
Of course, breakfast is on the menu at The Breakfast Co., with items such as the Boss Skillet, featuring hash brown potatoes, onions, green peppers, ham, bacon and sausage gravy. Cinnamon Roll French Toast and Stuffed French Toast are among the most popular menu items.
The restaurant also offers an assortment of crepes, omelets, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches and more.
However, as more people discover The Breakfast Co., located at 830 E. Main St., there’s plenty customers are still finding out.
“I think a lot of people don’t know that we have a lunch menu too. Our lunch is great, and the breaded tenderloin is phenomenal. We just switched over to the Swayze Tenderloin; it’s hand-breaded in Swayzee, Indiana,” Maples said. “Our cooks are phenomenal too. They make insanely good specials.”
On the lunch menu, customers can also choose from chicken wraps, burgers, a Philly cheesesteak panini, gyros and a variety of salads, to name a few.
The Breakfast Co. staff also has a passion for giving back.
They partner with Foster Fairies, a nonprofit supporting foster children, by placing an Angel Tree in the front of the restaurant during the holiday season for customers to select a tag and purchase a gift for a child in need.
With plenty of connections to the Brownsburg Community School Corp., including family members on staff, a brother still in high school and several high school employees, the community can count on The Breakfast Co. to sponsor various sports teams and other initiatives.
Each year, the team partners with other local Brownsburg businesses — Best Friends Coffee & Bagels and Green Street Pub & Eatery — for a special holiday event that supports children in need while giving others the opportunity to spend time with Santa, the Grinch and other holiday characters.
It’s just another opportunity to create community and share their love for people.
Most of all, those working and dining at The Breakfast Co. have created a family away from home.
“I can’t brag enough on our staff. They are the best people to be around. It’s an awesome place to be, and it feels like home to me. I hope it feels like home for everyone who walks in. I just love our people. It’s a great community,” Maples said.
