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Former Little&nbsp;Caeser&#39;s&nbsp;franchisee Ken Bates is back in the restaurant game after a 13-year hiatus, and as far as he&rsquo;s concerned,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eggsupgrill.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-little-caesers-franchisee-to-eggs-up-grill-owner-why-the-brand-was-a-perfect-fit-for-ken-bates-2710817" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Eggs Up Grill</a>&nbsp;is the place to be.&nbsp;

The breakfast, brunch and lunch brand prides itself on its wholesome menu and neighborly vibes. Eggs Up Grill has&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/eggsupgrill/food-newsfeed-eggs-up-grill-gears-up-for-a-southeast-takeover-2710618" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">big plans for expansion</a>&nbsp;throughout the state of Tennessee, and Bates is going to lead the way. He will open the brand&rsquo;s first Tennessee location by the end of 2019 in the Tri-Cities area, which is comprised of the cities of Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport. He is currently on the hunt for some prime real estate.&nbsp;

Bates opened his first Little Caesars in 1989. His enterprise grew over a 17-year period to 24 Little Caesars franchises across Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. He decided to sell in 2006 and pursue a career in real estate development.

&ldquo;I got out of the restaurant industry because the timing was right for me and my family to pursue other interests,&rdquo; Bates said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always missed the restaurant franchise business, but I didn&rsquo;t feel the right opportunity had come along, until&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/eggsupgrill/latest-stories.html" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Eggs Up Grill</a>.&rdquo;

Bates first learned about the breakfast, brunch and lunch brand through a Little Caesars friend who was based in the Spartanburg area&mdash;home to Eggs Up Grill&rsquo;s headquarters.

&ldquo;He knew I had been looking at concepts and told me about Eggs Up Grill,&rdquo; Bates said. &ldquo;After much consideration and research, I believe Eggs Up Grill is the opportunity I have been waiting for. The breakfast segment is growing and I like the hours and the flexibility it allows.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bates signed his franchise agreement on July 5, joining the brand at a prime moment. Founded in 1997, Eggs Up Grill has rapidly expanded throughout the southern United States. Today, there are 36 locations throughout South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Eggs Up Grill is absolutely thrilled to have Ken Bates on board,&rdquo; said&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/eggsupgrill/eggs-up-grill-q-a-with-ceo-ricky-richardson-2710409" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">CEO Ricky Richardson</a>. &ldquo;Ken is an industry veteran who scaled his Little Caesars franchises in some very competitive markets. He will bring a great deal of energy and expertise to the Tri-Cities area and pave the way for more franchisees in Tennessee. We believe Tennessee is a great market for our brand and we are excited for Ken to get started and set an example for prospective new franchisees.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Bates expects Eggs Up Grill will be well-received in the Tri-Cities area. He signed up to open one Eggs Up Grill, but he plans to open five more over the next five years.&nbsp;

Bates was actively involved in his community during his Little Caesars franchise days and he plans to be the same way with his Eggs Up Grill location. His previous&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/eggsupgrill/serving-up-smiles-from-sun-up-through-lunch-how-eggs-up-grill-became-a-welcoming-community-mainstay-2710407#trending" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">community involvement</a>&nbsp;included working with the Holston Valley Medical Center and serving as the president of the athletic booster club at his alma mater, East Tennessee State University.&nbsp;

&ldquo;As far as other business interests, I am the landlord of Tusculum View Centre in Greeneville, TN and I lease condos in Johnson City,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I still own about 40 lots in my residential development, Chase Meadows Development. Once Eggs Up is open, I plan on making it my main focus.&rdquo;

While Bates is a family man with two children and two grandchildren, he also just simply loves to work.&nbsp;

&ldquo;I have been semi-retired since the selling of my Little Caesars stores, but, I am looking forward to being involved with local organizations and charities once I get up and running as an Eggs Up owner and operator,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;As for my spare time, honestly, I&rsquo;m a workaholic perfectionist so that&rsquo;s really what I do for fun.&rdquo;

The startup costs for an Eggs Up Grill franchise range from $462,330 to $653,680. The franchise fee is $39,000. To learn more about franchising with Eggs Up Grill, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eggsupgrill.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=from-little-caesers-franchisee-to-eggs-up-grill-owner-why-the-brand-was-a-perfect-fit-for-ken-bates-2710817" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="background-color:transparent; border:0px; box-sizing:border-box; color:rgb(43, 179, 199); margin:0px; padding:0px; text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">https://www.eggsupgrill.com/franchise/</a>.

From Little Caeser's Franchisee to Eggs Up Grill Owner: Why the Brand Was A Perfect Fit For Ken Bates

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Eggs Up Grill has major plans to expand throughout the Volunteer State.

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