Eggs Up Grill
Eggs Up Grill is a privately held franchise breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant chain operating 100+ locations across 11 U.S. states under a daytime-only 6 a.m.–2 p.m. model, serving neighborhood families and guests via dine-in, online ordering, catering and an SMS loyalty program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersSpartanburg, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Eggs Up Grill does
Eggs Up Grill, legally organized as EUG Holdco, LLC, is a privately held franchisor of daytime-only breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurants headquartered in Spartanburg, South Carolina and founded in 2002 in Pawleys Island, SC. The brand positions itself as a neighborhood-focused casual-dining concept serving a broad menu of breakfast classics, omelets, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, burgers and salads within a single 6 a.m.–2 p.m. operating daypart, supported by ancillary digital revenue streams including online ordering, dedicated catering, gift cards, and an SMS-based Smile Society loyalty program.
The company operates a 100% franchise model, with all restaurants independently owned and operated. As of early 2026 the system comprises 100+ open restaurants across 11 U.S. states (AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA) with more than 90 additional units in development. Growth is executed through multi-unit development agreements signed with experienced restaurant operators (e.g., Metz Group, Belle Restaurant Management, multi-unit Houston partners), typically backed by a smaller real-estate footprint and a single-daypart operating model that is marketed as a simpler, more profitable alternative to full-day restaurant operations.
Economics are anchored by top-quartile unit-level performance — average sales of more than $1.375M for the top 50% of restaurants per the 2023 Franchise Disclosure Document — and consistent same-store sales momentum, including a 20th consecutive quarter of positive comps and 7% same-store sales growth in 2025. The brand has been ranked the No. 1 breakfast franchise in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 in each of the last three years and is led by CEO Ricky Richardson with CFO Kayla Money (joined February 2026 from Denny's Corporation). Underlying technology is conventional restaurant digital infrastructure rather than a proprietary AI or data platform.
Eggs Up Grill firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Eggs Up Grill
- Legal name
- EUG Holdco, LLC
- Website
- https://eggsupgrill.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Eggs Up Grill is a privately held franchise breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant chain operating 100+ locations across 11 U.S. states under a daytime-only 6 a.m.–2 p.m. model, serving neighborhood families and guests via dine-in, online ordering, catering and an SMS loyalty program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Eggs Up Grill industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual (THAFABAL)
Keywords
Where Eggs Up Grill is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Spartanburg
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Eggs Up Grill business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue: Eggs Up Grill generates revenue through franchise fees paid by multi-unit development partners, plus ongoing royalty payments from franchised locations. The brand signs multi-unit franchise agreements where operators commit to open a defined number of locations within a territory and timeline.
- Restaurant Retail Sales (Franchisee to Consumer): Individual franchise locations generate revenue through dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering sales. Average restaurant sales for the top 50% of locations topped $1.375 million per the 2023 FDD.
- Catering Revenue: Catering service for events and occasions generates incremental revenue. Catering options include breakfast buffets, build-your-own spreads, boxed meals, and full lunch platters. The brand promotes catering with dedicated online ordering and 24-hour advance notice recommendation.
- Loyalty Program Enrollment: Smile Society loyalty program drives repeat visits and customer retention through sign-up rewards and birthday offers, contributing to same-store sales growth.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Smile Society Loyalty Program — Free enrollment |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Eggs Up Grill product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Eggs Up Grill operates a franchise system of daytime-only (6 a.m.–2 p.m.) neighborhood restaurants serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch, with a menu built around farm-fresh hand-cracked eggs, pancakes, waffles, omelets, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The company supplements dine-in with online ordering for takeout and delivery, a catering service for events, the Smile Society SMS loyalty program, and traditional and e-gift cards.
Product overview
Eggs Up Grill is a daytime restaurant franchise offering a unified dining experience focused on breakfast, brunch, and lunch service (6 a.m. to 2 p.m.). The core product is the in-restaurant dining experience featuring diverse menu offerings including eggs, pancakes, waffles, French toast, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The company supplements its core restaurant operations with several connected service modules: online ordering for takeout and delivery, professional catering services for events and gatherings, the Smile Society loyalty rewards program, and gift card products. These products work together to provide a comprehensive daytime dining ecosystem serving the whole neighborhood.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch Restaurant Dining
- Catering Services
- Gift Cards (Traditional and E-Gift)
- Franchise Development Agreements
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 consecutive quarters of positive same-store sales growth
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Eggs Up Grill
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Eggs Up Grill technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Eggs Up Grill partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Metz GroupcoreMetz Group, a family-owned restaurant organization with experience operating Ruth's Chris Steak House, Dunkin, Chick-fil-A, and TGI Fridays, signed a multi-unit franchise partnership with Eggs Up Grill. The partnership was driven by Eggs Up Grill's positioning in the breakfast and lunch segment and its daytime-only operating model.
- Houston Franchise PartnerscoreEggs Up Grill signed a five-unit development agreement with franchise partners in Houston as part of its expansion in Texas. The deal was described as a key step in the company's growth strategy, emphasizing market demand and local economic growth in Houston.
- Chris and Kyle White (White & Mejias / 360 Target Marketing)coreFather-and-son duo Chris White (real estate broker, entrepreneur, president of 360 Target Marketing and Dream Home Seekers) and Kyle White (attorney and partner at White & Mejias) signed a five-unit Houston development agreement. The duo intended to open their first location by mid-2024.
- Belle Restaurant Management (Paul, Sheryl, and Mitchell Belle; Josh O'Neil)coreIndustry veterans Paul and Sheryl Belle (Firehouse Subs franchisees, former IHOP operators), their grandson Mitchell Belle, and operations manager Josh O'Neil signed a four-unit development agreement for Columbus, Ohio. This marked Eggs Up Grill's entry into the Midwest market. Mitchell and Josh planned to open the first location in early 2024.
- Chris SchmidtcoreChris Schmidt, a former Denny's senior director of information security (five years), signed a multi-location development agreement for the Melbourne, Florida market. Schmidt and his wife, both Florida Tech alumni, planned to open their first location in early 2024. Schmidt cited the brand's smaller real estate footprint and technology capabilities as key factors.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Eggs Up Grill competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Waffle House: Iconic Southeast-based breakfast chain with dense regional presence in Eggs Up Grill's core markets. Represents a price- and convenience-oriented alternative for the same morning occasion.
- Black Bear Diner: Franchised family dining concept with strong breakfast and lunch dayparts. Competes for the same value-conscious family guest in suburban and secondary markets.
- Huddle House: Southeast-focused 24/7 breakfast and lunch diner franchise. Comparable footprint strategy, daypart focus, and franchise profile to Eggs Up Grill.
- Another Broken Egg Cafe: Franchised breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept with a chef-inspired menu. Closest franchise-format competitor to Eggs Up Grill in the upscale-casual brunch niche.
- First Watch Restaurant Group: Public daytime breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept with a similar single-daypart operating model and farm-fresh positioning. Most directly comparable competitor in both menu and operating hours.
Broad incumbents
- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Large public family dining chain with strong breakfast daypart performance and a regional footprint overlapping Eggs Up Grill's Southeast base. Competes for the same breakfast occasion and family guest.
- Denny's: Legacy 24/7 breakfast franchise with national scale. Competes directly on breakfast daypart and value perception, and is the prior employer of EUG's new CFO, signaling industry overlap.
- Golden Corral: National family-style buffet chain with a heavy breakfast offering. Competes on value and family occasions in markets where Eggs Up Grill operates.
- IHOP: National breakfast-focused franchise system with a similar franchisee base. Many of EUG's recent franchise partners are former IHOP operators, underscoring the operator overlap.
Emerging players
- Snooze, an A.M. Eatery: Daytime-only breakfast and brunch concept with a contemporary, farm-focused menu similar in positioning to Eggs Up Grill. Earlier in unit growth and concentrated in western markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Eggs Up Grill social profiles
Digital presenceEggs Up Grill financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Eggs Up Grill leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Eggs Up Grill funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Eggs Up Grill M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Eggs Up Grill
What does Eggs Up Grill do?
Eggs Up Grill operates a franchise system of daytime-only (6 a.m.–2 p.m.) neighborhood restaurants serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch, with a menu built around farm-fresh hand-cracked eggs, pancakes, waffles, omelets, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. The company supplements dine-in with online ordering for takeout and delivery, a catering service for events, the Smile Society SMS loyalty program, and traditional and e-gift cards.
Is Eggs Up Grill a public or private company?
Eggs Up Grill is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Eggs Up Grill founded?
Eggs Up Grill was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Eggs Up Grill based?
Eggs Up Grill is headquartered in Spartanburg, United States, in the North America region.
How does Eggs Up Grill make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees and Royalty Revenue is the primary driver. The others are restaurant Retail Sales (Franchisee to Consumer), catering Revenue and loyalty Program Enrollment.
Who are Eggs Up Grill's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Waffle House, Black Bear Diner, Huddle House, Another Broken Egg Cafe and First Watch Restaurant Group. Broad incumbents are Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Denny's, Golden Corral and IHOP. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery is listed as an emerging player.
Does Eggs Up Grill have an API?
No public API is recorded for Eggs Up Grill.
What industry is Eggs Up Grill in?
Eggs Up Grill's product category is Casual Dining Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAL, Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513 and its SIC code is 5812.