Following several weeks of contract negotiations, Terry Leifheit and Joe Fazio of L & F Hospitality have purchased the building at 1201 S. College Road, with plans to open a Denny’s franchise. The building is the former home of Two Guys Grille.

Hansen Matthews with Maus Warwick Matthews and Company represented Leifheit and Fazio in the purchase of the property, while Tyler Pegg and Cody Cress of The CRESS Group of Coldwell Banker Commercial represented the seller.

Leifheit and Fazio currently own two other Denny’s locations, one in Jacksonville and another in Sneads Ferry. According to Leifheit, L & F plans to open a second location in Wilmington or perhaps Carolina Beach by the end of the year, followed by six additional locations along the Route 17 corridor from Brunswick County to the Morehead City area.

“We’re thrilled to bring Denny’s to Wilmington and think we have a great location on South College Road,” Leifheit said. “We’ve got the college and then the beach just eight miles away, and it’s a very well-traveled area.”

Leifheit says construction will begin soon to enclose the patio area, adding an additional 780 square feet to the building and allowing for a total of 138 seats. There will be private meeting room available, equipped with a smart TV, Wi-Fi and video conferencing. Free Wi-Fi will be available throughout the restaurant.

“This being our third store we are coming in with a lot of experience,” Leifheit said. “We’re generally able to turn tables in about 35 minutes so there’s never a very long wait, even at peak times.”

The restaurant will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email us at [email protected]