Childhood Buddies Sign on to Bring the First Eggs Up Grill to Savannah
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020
Longtime childhood friends turned business partners Heath Greene and Ben Sheppard both
began their professional careers as branch managers in the automotive industry, before
collectively deciding to venture off and find a new career path. With a family of his own, Greene
began looking for new opportunities that would allow him greater flexibility and began to explore
the idea of going into business with his longtime friend, Sheppard, who had ventured into the
pharmaceutical industry.
The duo landed on Eggs Up Grill, a Southeast based breakfast, brunch and lunch brand known
for its steady growth, high unit-level economics and simple operations requiring no prior
restaurant experience. They will open their first of three planned locations with the brand at
Berwick Marketplace on Ogeechee Road. After hearing nothing but positive buzz about Eggs
Up Grill, the two knew that becoming franchisees in the Savannah market was a “recipe for
success.”
“The culture that Eggs Up Grill has and how franchisees are involved in their communities was something that I was instantly drawn to, based on my own experience, ethos and work ethic,” said Greene. “It was clear that the brand’s values aligned with my own and with Ben’s.”
According to Greene and Sheppard, Savannah is a prime market for Eggs Up Grill due to the closely knit community with a mix of families and retirees. The business duo is confident that their restaurant wil be the go-to breakfast, brunch and lunch spot for generations to come. The two have secured their first location at Berwick Marketplace, with hopes to expand in Savannah's surrounding cities, such as Pooler. “Ideally, we’d love to be all around the Savannah area and we’re looking forward to growing with the brand after our first opening,” said Sheppard.
Eggs Up Grill currently has locations in Alpharetta, Roswell and Albany, Georgia with 5 additional restaurants under development in the northern part of the state. The brand, which stands out as a franchise opportunity due to its strong financial performance (including strong margins and 11 qtrs. of same store sales growth thru 2019), simple operations, and a balanced lifestyle supported through operating hours of 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. is well positioned for growth throughout the Southeast and on track to reach the 100 location mark by mid-2022.
“Thanks to over 20 years of success and high brand awareness throughout the Southeast, we’re fortunate to have strong reception from guests and anticipation from guests in new communities we enter,” said Eggs Up Grill CEO Ricky Richardson.