Eggs Up Grill West Ashley

By Debbie Lagestee

Eggs Up Grill West Ashley is a warm, welcoming family restaurant. The owners, Kevin and Teresa Arnold, have been happily married for 38 years. As former fitness center owners, they wanted to start a new adventure. They opened for business in May 2020 at West Ashley Circle Center. Although starting a business amid a pandemic was not ideal, they did not let it discourage them.

Teresa and Kevin

They were committed to creating a place that would serve the community. Their philosophy is to be a “Home to the Whole Neighborhood.” They strive to provide exceptional customer service, serve great quality breakfast and lunch food, and have their customers leave with a smile. The support they received from the corporate office allowed them as franchise owners to grow their business even during the most difficult of times.

Kevin and Teresa love interacting with the guests. Approximately 60-70% of their customers are regulars who come in a few times per week. It is a fantastic opportunity to get to know their clients. They make every effort to create a family atmosphere for their guests and their team members. Customers walk in as strangers and leave as family.

Eggs Up Grill Staff

Kevin and Teresa have been blessed with an incredible team. They feel like they are the mom and pop to many team members, holding them to a higher standard. They have employees who started working for them when they first overcame obstacles and are now living life with positive changes over two years later. Over time, those employees have recruited several others overcoming poor circumstances. Eggs Up Grill West Ashley is known to those looking for a job as a non-judgmental, safe space where they are free to grow positively and be treated with respect. It brings Kevin and Teresa great joy to be able to offer people a second chance. Being part of their journey and watching their employees succeed has been very rewarding for Kevin and Teresa.

Their management team consists of two women who worked their way up to management positions. Mirline is a single mom and a cancer survivor. She is a chef by trade with 12 years of experience working in several downtown restaurants. She was looking for a change in her working hours to spend more time with her kids. Eggs Up Grill was a perfect fit for her. She started as a cook and quickly worked her way to a manager position and, within 4 months, became the General Manager. Kevin and Teresa recognized her hard work and willingness to constantly go the extra mile and rewarded her for it. Heather is the other half of the management team and is a proud mother of two children. She was a legal assistant for 10 years before transitioning to the restaurant business. Heather was the General Manager of Eggs Up Grill at a different location. Unfortunately, they closed doors, but it was a blessing in disguise. Kevin and Teresa hired her as a server and a cook. They immediately recognized her outstanding work ethic and ability to motivate the other employees. They promoted her to General Manager alongside Mirline. The entire staff works as a cohesive team and has fun while doing so. They share a lot of laughs throughout their shift and thoroughly enjoy getting to know their customers. Customers often comment on how happy they are.

Kevin and Mirline

Heather

Kevin and Teresa are blessed with two amazing grown children, Heather and Hunter, married to wonderful spouses. They have a darling 2-year-old grandson, Wyatt, who is the apple of their eyes. They are thrilled to share that their daughter is expecting her first child in April. They can hardly contain their excitement about the arrival of their second grandchild in April. Kevin and Teresa want to be an active part of their grandchildren’s lives on a daily basis, so they have decided to retire and move back to Tennessee to be closer to their family.

Kevin and Teresa will leave the business in the capable hands of Mirline and Heather. They have built a successful business and want to pass it along to someone with the same philosophy and passion as they do. Kevin and Teresa offered Mirline and Heather each a percentage of the business, and they graciously accepted. Being part owners is something neither Mirline nor Heather could have imagined for themselves. The generous opportunity given to them by Kevin and Teresa is life-changing for both of these hardworking moms. Kevin says, “We have two wonderful partners in Mirline and Heather, who will be responsible for the day-to-day business. They started from the bottom and worked their way up, and we feel they deserved to be rewarded with this opportunity. They are two amazing young ladies with the drive and desire to make this business even better. They are a female powerhouse that works great together and are excited to serve and grow with our community!” Eggs Up Grill truly is a family!

Mirline and Heather appreciate the generosity and kindness shown to them by Kevin and Teresa. They look forward to serving in their new roles. To the customers, Mirline says, “You all are appreciated more than you know. Whether or not we’ve met, I consider you family. I’m honored to continue to provide you love and positivity through delicious food and being of service. We would not be here without your support.”

So as Kevin and Teresa pack their bags and head to Knoxville for the next chapter of their lives, they say, “We’ve loved serving you and seeing you every day. We will see you a little less, but we will continue our dedication and sense of commitment to you through our managers, whose capable hands we’re entrusting the store to in our absence.”

The next time you’re craving a delicious meal served with a smile, stop in Eggs Up Grill West Ashley. They are sure to make you feel right at home like you’re part of the family!

Visit the website:
www.eggsupgrill.com/locations/charleston-sc/

To order online:
www.eugwestashley.com