Eggs Up Grill set to open in early June near Mauldin's Golden Strip, 40th franchise in SC

A new Eggs Up Grill location is set to open in early June at the former site of Gretchen's Abs Cakes Cafe and Supplies in Mauldin.

The upcoming Southern breakfast diner at 439 N. Main St. is owned by Conley McIntyre and is his sixth Eggs Up Grill franchise, joining Woodruff and Pelham Road, Simpsonville, Powdersville, and Anderson sites.

"I've watched Mauldin grow and thrive, and opening a restaurant there felt like the right step in serving the greater Greenville area," said Spartanburg native McIntyre. "We've been looking for a few years (since 2016) and have finally found the right spot. We're excited about it."

McIntyre estimates the 5,000 square footage and 150 seats could make it the largest Eggs Up Grill restaurant site in the Upstate area.

The new restaurant will be the 40th franchise of Eggs Up Grill in South Carolina.

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Will there be any new menu items at Eggs Up Grill in Mauldin?

Unique to other locations of Eggs Up Grill in the Upstate, the Mauldin diner will have an in-house fryer, which McIntyre expects will differentiate the menu styles beyond the staple dishes offered at most of his restaurants.

"Everyone loves breakfast, right?" he said. "I think our fryer will allow us to try some new things."

He expects to sell a signature croissant-style doughnut and offer chicken fried steak and eggs, chicken fried steak, and Egg Benedict recipes exclusive to the Mauldin location.

Why was Mauldin the best choice for a new Eggs Up Grill restaurant?

McIntyre said his most significant reason for opening another dining location is to create a new family environment and be influenced and in tune with the area residents — a lesson learned from his mother, Dazz Collins, who he purchased Eggs Up Grill franchises from after her retirement a few years ago.

"She didn't plan for it to turn into all of this," he said of their franchise success in the area.

Together, they had run diners in Greenville since 2015, and around the time Mcintyre began living in Simpsonville, a neighboring area of Mauldin, they noticed the growth near the Golden Strip.

He figures Mauldin will provide growth opportunities and satisfaction similar to what his other locations offer him as a restaurant owner.

"Being part of these communities, you develop these relationships and then you decide to do another restaurant and then another one because of it. It makes me want to do more and keep going," he said. "I also want to keep it growing and give opportunities for our employees to move up and take on new roles so that it's a win-win for everyone."

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– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Eggs Up Grill breakfast diner to open in June in Mauldin, what to know