EggBred, a California-based cafe specializing in breakfast and lunch craft sandwiches and scratch-made ingredients, is opening its first East Coast location in Fruit Cove.
St. Johns County issued a permit March 26 for EggBred to build-out a 1,973-square-foot restaurant at a cost of $88,549.
It is in the Shops of Bartram Walk shopping center at 112 Bartram Oaks Park, Suite 103.
EggBred, which franchises, was founded in August 2020.
According to its website, EggBred operates California stores in La Habra, Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Brea. Six more are on the way there in Whittier, Garden Grove, Chino Hills, Tustin, Bakersfield and San Diego.
Xhimi Bujari, who is from Albania, is the Fruit Cove franchisee. After his wife gave birth to their daughter 20 months ago, he said he knew he wanted to build something for her to inherit when he becomes “an old man.”
“I didn’t want to be a financial burden for her,” he said.
Bujari, who finished seventh on “Big Brother Albania” season three in 2010, traveled to multiple states over several months before he landed on a franchise for EggBred.
He said that, rather than going the more traditional search for a franchise, he and a friend acted as secret shoppers.
“I went there without them even knowing,” Bujari said.
“Of course when you go in as a franchise they’re going to give you the best, but when they don’t know you’re going to be partners with them, they’re going to treat you like everybody else,” he said.
“That I wanted. I wanted to see the customer service. Everything. I liked it. It’s a great concept.”
According to Eggbred.com, it “offers a cozy, welcoming space where you can enjoy handcrafted breakfast sandwiches made with the freshest local ingredients. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite on your way to work or relaxing with family and friends, our laid-back atmosphere is the perfect spot to start your day right.”
The fast-casual concept serves breakfast and lunch. It says its menu items are made from scratch. It is open from 7 a.m. to 2. p.m. daily.
“We make our sauces in-house, use fresh-cracked eggs, serve our own proprietary blends of proteins, bake our own cheddar biscuits and source our delicious milk buns and English muffins from local artisan bakeries,” the site says.
Breakfast sandwiches include bacon, egg and cheese; chorizo, egg and cheese, country fried chicken and the Benjamin Franklin, which comprises Black Forest ham, an over-medium egg and truffle-dressed arugula with a side of hollandaise.
Lunch options include the Truffle Crunch Burger, and rib-eye steak and egg and hot chicken sandwiches.
Bujari said he hopes to open by July 17.
