When Jason Yu first envisioned Egg Club, a fast-casual breakfast brand dedicated to egg sandwiches, he saw an opportunity to reinvent a familiar favourite.
“We started in 2020, but I actually had the idea back in 2018,” said Yu, president of Egg Club. “It took about two years to develop the brand. We officially opened our first location in September 2020.”
The first restaurant opened in downtown Toronto. Since then, the chain has expanded to 10 locations across Canada, including sites in Toronto, North York, Calgary, Ottawa, Waterloo and Liberty Village.
Yu said the concept is built around simplicity and quality. “We’re a fast-casual breakfast place that serves egg sandwiches. Our specialty is egg sandwiches,” he said. “We have a really limited menu, but we focus heavily on doing that one thing very well.”
The inspiration came from what Yu saw as a gap in the breakfast and lunch market. “Back in 2018, the only dominant players were McDonald’s, Tim Hortons and Starbucks and we all know their food isn’t great,” he said. “So I had the idea to build a breakfast place that’s made-to-order, a little more premium, where people can get a high-quality egg sandwich.”
Yu said the brand’s success stems from taking a timeless staple and giving it a modern twist. “People know eggs, people know bread. We just combined the two in a more modern, high-quality way,” he said. “We wanted to take something people eat daily and make it high-quality, fun and better than other options in the market, while still keeping prices competitive.”
Egg Club’s footprint continues to grow, with 10 more locations planned by the end of 2026. “Right now we’re planning for Vancouver, a few more in the GTA, one more in Ottawa, two more in Edmonton, and a few in Quebec as well,” Yu said.
When choosing new locations, Yu said the company targets areas with high pedestrian traffic. “We like busy areas with high foot traffic. That’s ideal for us because we’re a grab-and-go concept,” he said. “Our target customers are people on the go who want a quick breakfast or lunch, but still want something high-quality at a competitive price.”
Egg Club locations range from 450 to 1,200 square feet, with seating available in larger stores. “Anything above roughly 650 square feet, we start adding seating,” Yu said.
For Yu, Egg Club represents more than a breakfast spot. It’s about bringing care and creativity to something Canadians already love. “We wanted to revolutionize the old, boring egg sandwich into something new and hip,” he said.
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