1 5
1 5
Eggies
3 units
Swedish-born Johan Engman is making a name for himself in the family dining category. Also the founder of Breakfast Republic, Engman decided to open another breakfast-based chain: Eggies.
Both Breakfast Republic and Eggies are part of the Rise & Shine Hospitality Group, which also owns and operates Engman’s first concept, Fig Tree, as well as Feast and Fareway, and Breakfast Company. All of these California brands are the result of Engman’s ambition.
When he first started out in the restaurant industry, he was a dishwasher, determined to make something of himself. Within the span of ten years, he had moved from dishwasher to restaurant owner with Fig Tree.
Eggies, the newest of the bunch, has three locations and focuses on eggs. Most items on the pared-down menu center around the humble ingredient. Dishes include the Eggies Classic, which is an over-medium egg, “eggcellent sauce,” maple sage breakfast sausage, applewood smoked bacon and sharp cheddar cheese on a brioche bun; and What Came First? which is an over-medium egg, “eggcellent sauce,” fried chicken, a house pickle, and muenster cheese on a brioche bun.
This concept is unique because it’s grab-and-go, unlike the rest of Engman’s concepts in the Rise & Shine Hospitality Group.
Eggies started as a storefront next door to two Breakfast Republics; then he realized he could open the concept as a window in his other concepts. There are plans for the brand to open more units in other of Engman’s brands like The Breakfast Company.
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
19 units
With humble beginnings in Durham, N.C., Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken isn’t hiding anything with its name. It wants you to know what to expect when you enter one of the chain’s 19 units.
The chain prides itself on its quality of food and ingredients. But don’t think you’re leaving there without having the chain’s three signature items: biscuits, chicken, and donuts.
Rise’s signature item, the biscuit, is made from scratch and filled with savory ingredients ranging from crispy bacon and country sausage to fried green tomatoes and the chain’s famous Righteous Chicken.
This “righteous chicken” is tenderized, brined in buttermilk, fried to golden-brown perfection, and then served on a biscuit or bun or as strips with a choice of toppings and sauces.
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken was founded in 2012 and has grown to almost 20 units across the country, including its first California location, which opened in Q4 2022. The chain expects to have an increased presence in the California market after signing a franchisee deal in San Diego with a franchisee who hopes to open five units.
The chain is tech-focused as well. It uses kiosks for ordering and is bullish on off-premises dining. It also has hot-food lockers in many locations for to-go orders. When a delivery driver arrives, the employee punches their name into a locker and the driver will be alerted when the food is ready, making the time restaurant employees are interacting with the delivery driver shorter.
Rise also phased out curbside pick-up and went cashless in 2022. This led to increased hospitality and satisfaction scores from customers.
Hash Kitchen
7 locations
Hash Kitchen, which calls itself the creator of the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar, is the brainchild of Joey Maggiore. The breakfast brand has seven locations throughout Arizona and is one of several concepts Maggiore has created and run as part of The Maggiore Group.
Savory Fund made a $20 million investment in Hash Kitchen in 2021 with plans to expand the concept. At the time, the chain only had five units in Arizona.
The chain began as a boozy brunch concept, meaning the cocktails were almost as important as the food itself. In addition to the chain’s make-your-own Blood Mary bar, there are out-of-this-world items on its beverage menu, with there being as much food in the drinks as on the plates. There are mimosas in which customers can add glitter bombs or cotton candy. It’s a dream for anyone looking to get social-media photos of their meal.
Don’t think this brand is only about food and drinks; the whole concept is built around an experiential atmosphere and lots of fun. There are DJ brunch parties and social media-friendly dishes — including a tabletop Ferris wheel of cupcakes and cereal milk shots.
Hash Kitchen hopes to open eight locations by the end of 2023, focusing at first on markets like Denver, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Salt Lake City, the brand told Nation’s Restaurant News in 2022.
Technology will also be a significant part of Hash Kitchen’s future, as the company looks to invest in handheld POS systems that will help cut down on labor needs and wait times for the restaurant.
“If you want to come for scrambled eggs, we’ll have that for you,” Maggiore said in an interview with NRN in 2022. “But everything at Hash you feast with your eyes first.”
Shoney’s
65 locations
Shoney’s, the family-dining brand that’s been around since 1947, is known for its all-you-can-eat breakfast bar. That invention, which came about in the ‘80’s, has been a cornerstone to the restaurant's success over the past 70-plus years.
At the end of the day, however, Shoney’s is a quintessentially American family-dining chain serving “all-American” food. That includes pies, eggs, pancakes, biscuits and more.
It’s not just about breakfast either; the chain’s expansive menu includes burgers, salads and alcoholic beverages.
The chain recently rolled out new items on the “All You Care to Eat Breakfast Fresh Food Bar,” after consulting with its own research and development teams, its franchisee partners, supplier partners, and customers.
David Davoudpour, Shoney’s CEO and chair, said the new items play on Shoney’s strengths, such as strawberry pie, and offer new versions of the brand’s classics.
“I like sweet in the morning with a cup of coffee,” Davoudpour said in an interview with NRN recently, “but that bacon and cheddar cheese grits — it’s magnificent. It’s a classy Southern dish that you can’t ignore.”
Besides the Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Grits, new breakfast bar items include: Biscuit & Gravy Strata with sausage, spinach and cheese, Blueberry Muffins, Cinnamon rolls with traditional icing, Churro Donuts, Strawberry Trifle that features biscuits layered with whipped topping and sliced berries, Sausage Skillet Hash with eggs, cheese, and vegetables, Egg Frittata Cups in two varieties including bacon-cheddar and red bell pepper-spinach, and Sweet Heat Crispy Chicken Biscuit with Shoney’s Hot Honey sauce.
The new items tap into Shoney’s heritage.
“We’ve been famous for our strawberry pie since 1947,” Davoudpour said, “so we know one or two things about the strawberry pie. We got a strawberry trifle out there, and it's a beauty.”
Huckleberry’s Breakfast & Lunch
33 locations
Huckleberry’s Breakfast & Lunch is a Southern-style breakfast concept based in California. The slogan is, “Southern Cookin’ With A California Twist!”
Meant to feel like you’re walking into a bayou — literally the chain’s drink menu is called ‘Sippin’ on the Bayou’ — this chain is looking to stand out from the healthier and more ‘California’ restaurants in the crowded space.
It’s also looking to franchise more units.
With operating hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., attracting leadership from multi-unit operators is easier for the brand that has standard breakfast hours, allowing employees flexibility in their personal lives. The set schedule allows for the opportunity to be home every night and helps cultivate a refreshing work-life-balance for both operators and team members.
“We have found tremendous success with conversions from other concepts that serve three dayparts: breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Greg Graber, CEO of Huckleberry’s parent company Heritage Restaurant Brands, said in a statement. “The AUVs went up in these conversions and the franchisees are extremely happy. More sales in less hours is always a win-win.”
Upcoming California locations include Vacaville, Ventura (3), Santa Maria and Redding, while three Nevada locations will also launch in Las Vegas.
Heritage Restaurant Brands was founded in 2016. The San Luis Obispo, Calif., based company is the franchisor of three brands. The concept plans to open 2-4 more units in 2023, with 10-12 on the way in 2024.
