Eggs Up Grill: Q&A With CEO Ricky Richardson

What about Eggs Up Grill makes it unique within its industry?
Oftentimes the restaurant business can be transactional, serving as a functional solution to hunger, but successful brands go beyond this to touch their guests emotionally. In a world where online ordering and delivery are taking over, many people still crave an authentic connection along with good food when they visit a restaurant. Eggs Up Grill is built to do just that—offering a great tasting, all-American menu and personally connecting with guests through warm, friendly service. From the simplicity of the menu, served sunup to lunch; streamlined operations, to our defined guest positioning as the true neighborhood gathering place, this concept is on fire and we have plenty of room to grow.

What plans does the brand have in the coming years?
Eggs Up Grill has opened four restaurants in the first half of 2019, in Holly Springs, North Carolina, and Boiling Springs, Powdersville and Greenville, South Carolina, with eight to nine more locations opening during the balance of the year in North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida.

In the last nine months, Eggs Up Grill has signed four new area development agreements to fuel growth, projecting 18 restaurant openings in 2020 followed by over 20 new locations in 2021. To continue its rapid growth, Eggs Up Grill is focused on concentric growth across the Southeast to tap into the brand recognition, operational efficiency and high level support the brand team offers.

 Why is Eggs Up Grill a good investment?
Eggs Up Grill’s business model is simple, and the hours of operation offer franchisees an enviable work/life balance.

From a business standpoint, Eggs Up Grill offers strong unit-level economics and a track record of success. Its day part attracts business-minded investors looking to add a brand with a proven model to their portfolios. Additionally, many franchisees came to the brand as guests who loved the experience, product and community feel. Plus, the brand doesn’t require franchisees to have prior restaurant experience. Once they get into the brand, franchisees see firsthand the scalability of the concept, with 50 percent of franchisees having reinvested into the brand and signed additional agreements for new restaurants. 

Eggs Up Grill’s inviting atmosphere, product and community feel keeps team members rewarded and happy. The 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. hours of operation provide an advantage with hiring and retention, often attracting a more family-oriented, responsible team member. Servers and cooks often work with the brand for more than a decade—that’s not an accident.

How does Eggs Up Grill support franchisees?
From a support standpoint, Eggs Up Grill works one-on-one with franchisees from the first point of inquiry to the restaurant’s opening—and throughout the life of the franchise. The brand team has a strong support program that encompasses franchisee and team member training, food safety controls, operational best practices, local and brand marketing, financial performance tools and much more. All of this is coordinated day to day through experienced, field-based Franchise Business Consultants and supported through the brand’s seasoned leadership team.  Additionally, Eggs Up Grill has developed a robust service provider network across development, marketing and technology to improve franchisees’ results.

As further evidence of this commitment to success, Eggs Up Grill opened a company-owned and -operated restaurant in July 2019 that serves as the brand’s Training Center and Innovation Lab. The restaurant features a new prototype design aimed at enhancing the guest experience while testing concepts including a coffee bar and a grab-and-go counter to drive incremental sales results.

 What does an ideal franchisee look like?
The ideal franchisee for an Eggs Up Grill is very engaged and hands-on in their business and in their local community. Eggs Up Grill franchise owners are hospitality-minded and guest-centered, high energy and forward-thinking, with a passion for results and an eagerness to drive growth.