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This scratch kitchen eatery serves breakfast all day and opened for business just last month.

Daytona Beach News-Journal

“When pigs fly” is how fiancées Danielle Armenta and Evgeny Dzyubin described the prospect of opening their own restaurant together.

Not long ago, pigs must’ve been soaring, as the Ormond Beach Diner not only welcomed its first morning crowd to the 1460 Ocean Shore Blvd. eatery, but by its first Saturday, had sold out entirely, with Dzyubin solely running kitchen operations while Armenta covered hosting, waitressing and bussing tables.

With help from the community, the duo has gratefully hired four employees since then, and describes the enduring support they’ve received so far as the foundation to their New York-style, dream-turned-reality.

“The community has been really fantastic … I’ve been to many places in the states and the people here — the hospitality, there’s nothing like it,” Armenta said, eyes tearing.

“… It’s crazy. I still cry some days, because I’m so overwhelmed by all the love.”

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Dzyubin, from Manhattan, grew up embracing the culinary traditions that both his mother and grandmother kept alive at home, cooking for holidays and large-party gatherings with friends and family. When the torch was passed down, as he described it, the innovative young chef certainly didn’t disappoint — but, by then, he’d had some practice.

At 16, Dzyubin landed his first industry position as a busser at his local diner, where he felt an unyielding pull to the kitchen’s chaos. Over the years, his passion and persistence earned him a steady path up the ranks of his local diner scene, from general manager to sous chef and head chef by just 21 years old.

However, in his adult years, he yearned to be his own boss, and ultimately put his culinary passions on hold to pursue a career that would one day make his long-time dream a realistic possibility.

“I realized that in order to become a full-time owner in a restaurant, you can’t be working as a busboy in a restaurant. So, I went to IT,” he explained.

“I did IT for about eight to 10 years to kind of build up my cash flow and the relevant experience in the corporate world, you know — how to run a company, how to run a business.”

On the opposite end of the spectrum, his partner of four years, Armenta, from California, comes from a 15-year career in customer service, working extensively in both the retail and beauty space. While she described the restaurant industry as one rather out of her comfort zone, one of its key components happens to be one of her greatest strengths — hospitality.

“I’ve always loved that part of my job, just the people part, the people aspect — getting to learn about people and getting to know them,” she said. “That connection is so important for me and for us, as well.”

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After Dzyubin moved to the Daytona area in 2020, a longtime vacation spot for his family, he kept a close eye on mom and pops around town, keeping his then long-distance fiancé in the loop every step of the way. When the Ormond-by-the-Sea eatery, formerly the Sun & Sand Café, went up for grabs in July, he was first in line, and by August, Armenta had packed her belongings and made the roughly 3,000-mile move across the country.

Together, they eagerly welcome locals and vacationers alike to the fully renovated, New York-style eatery we now know as Ormond Beach Diner — a long-awaited venture that fuses two seemingly-opposite career backgrounds, while still uniquely feeding their strengths as individuals.

Its logo, a winged pig, decorates the interior, “honoring (Dzyubin’s) vision and his dream come true,” while the community’s fingerprint is already evident through the eatery's eager staff of new hires and embellished back wall of customer-donated license plates.

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“Cooking has always been my passion over the years … and doing it the right way,” Dzyubin explained, “not just ‘Oh, we’ll slap something together.’ (It’s) the right plating, the right ingredients, the right structure and flow of the food —making sure it comes out, even for my friends and family, quickly enough.”

An emphasis on fresh, real ingredients defines the diner’s menu, with much of its produce hand-picked by the couple from local farmers markets each week. Every dish is made fresh-to-order, they noted, a time-consuming process that showcases their unwillingness to compromise on quality or flavor.

Breakfast is served all day, with options ranging from the eatery's best-selling pancake variations, Belgian waffles and French toast to morning wraps, sandwiches, avocado toast and classic bacon and egg plates.

Variety is standard at the local diner, with lunch and dinner dishes ranging from homestyle meatloaf, stroganoff and penne alla vodka, to slow-braised short rib, sautéed salmon and specialty burgers.

“When I say it’s New York-style influence, I mean we have a little bit of everything for everyone,” Dzyubin said, “because New York is such a cultural melting pot.”

The couple hopes to also have beer and wine available this month.

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In the coming months, Dzyubin and Armenta, who, between prepping, serving and closing, are currently working 18-hour days, often six days per week, look forward to expanding their team, and continuing to curate an environment where every guest feels more like a friend.

“When (customers) are here, it's our family, you know?" Armenta said. "It’s our happy place, but we want them to also feel like it’s their happy place and enjoy that curated food that’s going to remind them of home — of a homecooked meal.”

Ormond Beach Diner is located at 1460 Ocean Shore Blvd. in Ormond-by-the-Sea and is open 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wednesday – Sunday, temporarily, allowing Monday and Tuesdays to serve as prep days. In the coming weeks, the diner plans to return to its usual hours of operation, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Tuesday – Sunday.

For information, call 386-944-9068 or visit ormondbeachdiner.com.