What’s cooking at new breakfast, brunch & lunch spot in Warner Robins?

A new breakfast, brunch and lunch spot is now open in the Bonaire community of Warner Robins.

Eggs Up Grill at 770 Ga. 96, Suite 200 and 205, is at the very end of the Kroger Marketplace shopping center behind the new Chase Bank that’s expected to open in the fall.

The fast-growing, fast-casual Eggs Up Grill brand is new to Middle Georgia.

Eggs Up Grill serves up classic breakfast dishes with eggs, bacon or sausage, home fries or grits, as well as omelets, breakfast sandwiches, bowls, burgers, salads and more.

“I like the variety on the menu,” said franchise owner Celia Henderson-St. Louis, a U.S. Air Force veteran, in a sit-down interview at the restaurant. “I think that it’s not fussy food.

“It’s something everybody can relate to, and we’ve got just enough variety to kind of fit that taste of everybody.”

Henderson-St. Louis retired from Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base as a senior master sergeant in 2012 after 20 years and seven months in the Air Force. Her roles in the military included inventory management, aircraft parts supply and command-level policy development.

She’s currently a civilian logistics manager in foreign military sales at Robins AFB and owns her own real estate company, Taylor Blue Real Estate. She plans to continue in those roles and be “very hands-on” at her new restaurant.

“Not micromanaging but hands-on,” said Henderson-St. Louis, noting that she employs both a general manager and a kitchen manager. She manages the finances, helps out where needed and is often seen greeting customers.

Her venture into the restaurant industry started a few years ago when she purchased property in Fort Valley as an investment. Her daughter, Zxaria St. Louis, who’s working alongside her at Eggs Up Grill and pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Albany State, was the one who suggested she consider opening a restaurant.

After considering various restaurant concepts, Henderson-St. Louis settled on Eggs Up Grill. She was impressed by the franchise support the brand provides.

She and her son, Kendrick Henderson, a news producer for CBS in Atlanta, traveled with her to the Eggs Up Grill in Morrow on her second visit to try the food and talk with the franchise owner. On her first visit, she traveled alone, unannounced, and tried the shrimp and grits.

The operating hours also appealed to her.

“I like the hours, 6 to 2, and I figured that it would be good for myself as well as the employees,” Henderson-St. Louis said.

“You could come to work, be able to leave work, and still have part of your day because the latest we should be getting out of here is 3, 3:15 at the latest, and then you still have time to do things with your family, go out and run errands. That really appealed to me personally, and a lot of the staff have told me, ‘we love the hours.’ ”

She still has the Fort Valley property, but chose the Warner Robins location because it’s a better fit for the brand in a busy shopping center. She’s also signed up to bring an Eggs Up Grill to Macon in the future, but first wants to concentrate on the new Warner Robins restaurant.

Her heart is to create a welcoming space where people feel valued and connected.

Step inside Eggs Up Grill to a colorful and open space with banquettes along one wall, booths along another and tables in the middle. The 2,800-square-foot restaurant can seat up to 98 people.

Guests are greeted as they come in, and a host or hostess seats them. A server takes orders at the table, brings the food and takes payment after the meal.

Giselle Holderfield, with her 1 1⁄2-year-old son, Malcolm, in tow, was having breakfast with her in-laws, Miyoung and Joel Holderfield, on the restaurant’s opening day Aug.17.

Giselle Holderfield tried the chimi steak scrambler of cheesy scrambled eggs topped with avocado, diced tomatoes and grilled, marinated skirt steak. The dish is served with a side of chimichurri sauce that’s made with fresh parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, lime and a touch of red chiles.

“It’s really good,” she said. “Really flavorful.”

The portions were perfect – not too big or too small, and the location is really convenient, Holderfield said. She likes that there’s now “an extra breakfast place.” Her mother-in-law also liked the food as well as the restaurant’s bright open interior.

The two-sided, 11-by-17-inch menu is divided into sections, including “bites and delights” such as oatmeal and fruit and “morning favorites” such as “the classic” of two eggs, three pieces of bacon or sausage, home fries or grits, and toast.

“The big seller is probably the classic because that’s kind of your staple breakfast items,” Henderson-St. Louis said.

The “egg-centric” section includes eight omelet choices and a “ pick three” that’s made with three eggs and a choice of three ingredients. Additional ingredients may be added for an upcharge.

The baja chicken omelet is a four-egg omelet with grilled chicken and pepper jack cheese topped with avocado, pico de gallo and chile-lime crema, according to the menu.

Griddle combos include Belgian waffles, French toast and pancake offerings served with two eggs and a choice of bacon or sausage. Pancakes also can be added to any entree.

The cinnamon swirl french toast is described on the menu as two slices of cinnamon swirl bread dipped in house-made custard, griddled golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar.

“Crave-a-bowls” include a shrimp & grits bowl, a street corn steak tot bowl and a loaded home fry bowl.

The street corn steak tot bowl includes crispy tater tots topped with pepper jack cheese, roasted corn, pico de gallo, grilled skirt steak and chili-lime crema. The dish can be made with home fries instead of tots.

Henderson-St. Louis met the young man behind this dish at an Eggs Up Grill owners conference in January.

“He works for Eggs Up Grill at another location, and this is his recipe,” she said.

A “classic benny” of Canadian bacon, toasted English muffin and two poached eggs topped with hollandaise sauce joins the brunch bennies on the menu. The bennies, including a coastal crab cake benny, are served with home fries or grits, or substitute fresh fruit for an upcharge.

The menu also includes breakfast sandwiches, including a build-your-own option.

Burgers, patty melts and “sammies” round out the menu, along with three salad choices.

The brunch burger is a double-steak burger with American cheese, maple caramelized onions, bacon, and egg cooked to order on a grilled brioche bun with a pickle on the side and served with a choice of french fries, tots or home fries. Substitute fresh fruit or a side salad for an upcharge.

Eggs Up Grill also offers a $10.49 weekday lunch choice of a half salad and half a sandwich, which can also be ordered on the weekends for an additional $1. Fries or tots can be substituted for the salad. Make it a full sandwich for $3 more.

A kids menu is also available for children 10 and under. A beverage is included.

The house coffee is made with 100% Arabica beans from a family-owned roaster with a choice of house blend, dark roast or Italian roast espresso, according to the menu.

The menu also includes lattes, handcrafted cold brews and other coffee drinks, along with sodas, teas, lemonade, juices, regular and chocolate milk, and hot cocoa.

Once Henderson-St. Louis receives the restaurant’s alcohol license, five flavors of mimosas will be served by the glass or by carafe. The menu also features mocktails.

Founded in 1997 in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, the Eggs Up Grill brand has more than 110 locations nationwide, with more than 90 additional units in development or committed to open, according to a news release. The brand has 13 other locations in Georgia, according to its website.

The Eggs Up Grill in Warner Robins offers dine-in, takeout, online ordering, third-party delivery through DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub, and catering. Hours are 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. The number is 478-313-5427.