The restaurants, as the name suggests, specialize in waffles and benedicts, but offer so much more! “We offer a wide variety of breakfast and lunch dishes, with all your taste buds in mind! Dishes like the Pork Belly Benedict, Brisket Skillet, Churro French Toast, and our Cinnaroll Waffle will have you smiling for sure. We also offer a great lunch menu, including our French Dip Sandwich, Breakfast Burger, and Hot Honey Turkey Sandwich,” Jamie notes. “We pride ourselves in consistency, quality, and of course, taste. All of our dishes and recipes are made from scratch in house, with only the best of ingredients.”
The Daskalis family owned diners in New York, and after a few visits to Myrtle Beach, “we all started the move down, opening the first Johnny D’s in January 2014. We have since expanded to three locations across the Grand Strand and are looking forward to expanding further, in the future,” she says.
Johnny D’s Waffles was founded on the principles of discipline, hard work, and consistency, values established by family member and late owner “Johnny D.”
Jamie attributes the restaurants’ success to the fact that it’s run by family members. “We are at the restaurants every day to ensure they are running smoothly and are involved with the daily operations,” she says. “We’re not afraid to get our hands dirty!”
Maria Daskalis is the office manager; Christina Paglia is area manager, Anastasia Daskalis is MOM and president, and of course Jamie presides over the kitchens, is in charge of menu development, and helps with guests and media relations. Brother Nick is a graduate of the Culinary Institute and is director of purchasing, also working in the kitchen at the Surfside Beach location.
Jamie and her family are proud of the many awards they’ve received and the accomplishments they’ve made. Jamie was named one of the Chef Ambassadors of SC in 2020/2021.
“One of our most coveted awards was our Red Velvet Waffle being named number one in South Carolina by the Food Network… we’re very proud of the Red Velvet Waffle recipe, as it is very unique.”
She has sound advice for women starting out in business: “Women are a force to be reckoned with! We can do anything we set our mind to …” she says. “I would advise her that she can do this. Stay focused, have discipline, don’t be afraid to take chances and remember to surround yourself with people who inspire, that help motivate you and support your dreams.”
Johnny D’s Waffles and Benedicts
3301 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
3900 U.S. 17 S., North Myrtle Beach, SC 29582
1200 U.S. 17 Business, Surfside Beach, SC 29575
All three locations open 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily
