PG Growth Opportunities bought breakfast brand Wild Eggs in January and is pursuing franchise expansion.
Breakfast franchise Wild Eggs has gone through a restructuring following its acquisition by Miami-based PG Growth Opportunities. The new owners, including CEO Andy Abbajay, plan to expand the brand in existing and new markets.
Wild Eggs started in 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky. The brand gained a following in its hometown and beyond, growing to 12 locations before being acquired by PG in January of this year.
“We looked at a variety of companies,” said Abbajay. “One of the things we fell in love with about Wild Eggs was not only the food, but specifically it had the opportunity to grow beyond 50 to 75 locations.”
Wild Eggs CEO Andy Abbajay poses for a photo during the 2023 Restaurant Finance & Development Conference, held in November at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Abbajay saw the brand potential from the loyal customer base. Loyal customers mean a restaurant remains successful, and there’s the potential to find more loyal customers in new markets, he said.
With a focus on more gourmet food and drinks, Wild Eggs was a bit of an odd ball when it first opened. Now, with the breakfast sector seeing higher demand, there’s a wide range of concepts, from diner-style to five-star options.
“We’ve got a combination of our environment, one that’s inviting and open, and the food and innovative products,” said Abbajay. “It creates a unique guest experience, and we believe that’s what sets us apart.”
Major players in the breakfast space include 1,602-unit Denny’s, with systemwide sales of nearly $2.9 billion, 1,781-unit IHOP, 13,361-unit Dunkin and 5,600-unit Tim Hortons, to name a few. For small franchises, there’s Eggs Up Grill, Another Broken Egg Café and Black Bear Diner.
There was a lot of work to be done when PG came on board, Abbajay admitted. Primarily, the infrastructure needed an upgrade, resulting in an evolved tech stack, an updated franchise disclosure document and new talent to help run the support center to prepare for growth.
Abbajay aims to strengthen Wild Eggs’ franchising efforts and wants to focus on supporting new and existing franchisees. He and the team are working in tandem with longtime franchisees to accomplish the company’s goals.
The company is also looking inward for prospective operators.
Wild Eggs isn’t just known for its food. It has an extensive drink menu offering morning classics such as mimosas.
“We’re very aspirational about our employees having the opportunity to become a Wild Eggs franchisee,” he said. “We’re putting in some different instruments right now that would allow an individual looking to become their own owner to follow the steps.”
This includes helping the employee get the capital to open and implementing incentives. Abbajay said the brand is still working on the process, but is looking forward to rolling it out in the future. And that rollout will have to be quick as the brand is already getting new leads, with 20 leads that are serious and in discussion, he said.
“We hit the ground running back in August when we launched our new FDD,” said Abbajay. “We’ve exceeded all of our expectations.”