Chef and restaurateur Troy Guard is bringing a Swedish egg concept to his home base of Denver with the help of his friend and former Colorado Avalanche hockey player Peter Forsberg.
Eggs Included, aka Eggs Inc., is a limited service restaurant in Stockholm founded in 2019 by Glenn and Elisabet Eriksson.
The Denver location will be their second unit.
Although eggs are the primary ingredient of nearly every menu item (there are also gluten-free banana pancakes), Eggs Inc. is not intended as a breakfast restaurant but an all-day venue for quick, healthful meals. Its tagline is “Innovative egg-dishes for every time of the day that will leave you with a joyful feeling that lasts.”
The Swedish menu has breakfast-oriented egg sandwiches such as one with scrambled eggs and avocado, and another with scrambled eggs and bacon, as well as lunch-focused “Egg Buns” including one with barbecue chicken & bacon and another with honey mustard & turkey. The restaurant also offers egg-topped pizzas, eggs Benedict, and snackable egg bites. Most items are priced at between 120 and 140 Swedish kronor, or $11.65-$13.60.
Vegan options are available as well.
A press release about the Denver location said it would also have a beer and wine program.
In that release, Elisabet Eriksson said she wants the chain to compete against the biggest players in quick service.
“We aimed to develop a concept that matched the speed of McDonald's but focused on healthier options, prepared with locally sourced, fresh eggs, and delivered great taste. Eggs Inc. stands as our solution to fill this gap in the market,” said Eriksson, who launched the successful coffee chain Espresso House in Lund, Sweden, in 1996. The concept now has more than 450 locations across Europe.
Guard, who like Forsberg is an investor in the Denver location, said the concept is in line with American tastes.
"We're thrilled to bring this revolutionary concept to market in the United States.” He said in the release. “Not only is the food amazing but the unique blend of flavor with a focus on quick, protein-rich meals aligns perfectly with the evolving preferences of the American market. Partnering with the Erikssons and Peter Forsberg has been incredible, and we’re really confident in the potential for this brand."
Guard’s TAG Restaurant Group includes steakhouse concept Guard and Grace, with locations in Denver and Houston, as well as fast-casual Bubu, casual dining Mexican concept Los Chingones, breakfast-and-brunch concept HashTAG, and Done Deal Cocktail Bar
Forsberg, who is in the National Hockey League’s Hall of Fame, first encountered Eggs Inc. when visiting his native Sweden.
Among other investors are Colorado-based real estate developers Jeff Hermanson and John Zakhem.
The release said their relationships with Forsberg and Guard influenced their decision to debut their concept in Denver, as did that city’s health-conscious community and the success of other restaurant concepts that started their, most notably Chipotle Mexican Grill.
To promote the concept and to get consumer feedback, the TAG group is hosting a series of popups, starting in late March with four days at its Bubu location at Granite Tower in Downtown Denver, followed by four days at its other location at Republic Plaza, also downtown. The next week the pop will be at Los Lounge, the late-night name of the Los Chingones in the city’s RiNo neighborhood.
The location and opening date of the first Eggs Inc. has not yet been announced, but Guard told The Denver Post that he hoped to have two of them open by late summer or early fall of this year.
Contact Bret Thorn at [email protected]
