Former Denny’s Corporation finance executive brings deep expertise in forecasting, franchise strategy and capital planning

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (Feb. 26, 2026) – Eggs Up Grill, the fastest-growing “better breakfast” restaurant franchise in the country, has appointed Kayla Money as chief financial officer. She brings more than a decade of financial leadership experience in the restaurant industry to the growing breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise.

Money joins Eggs Up Grill from Denny’s Corporation, where she most recently served as senior director of enterprise FP&A and investor relations, leading enterprise forecasting and long-range financial planning for the national restaurant brand.

As CFO of Eggs Up Grill, Money will oversee financial strategy, planning and analysis, budgeting, capital allocation and banking relationships to support the brand’s continued expansion. She will play a central role in driving sustainable growth, strengthening franchisee profitability and enhancing long-term shareholder value.

Her appointment comes on the heels of record-setting momentum for Eggs Up Grill. In 2025, the brand opened 18 new restaurants, the most in company history, and achieved its 20th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales, delivering 7% same-store sales growth and more than 27% average unit volume growth since 2021. The system now boasts more than 190 restaurants open and in development across the United States, with continued development underway.

“Kayla’s depth of experience in the restaurant industry, from FP&A to engaging with investors, franchisees and franchise lenders makes her an exceptional addition to our executive team,” said Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill. “Her experience supporting enterprise growth and franchise system performance will help position Eggs Up Grill for its next chapter. As we continue to grow with experienced multi-unit and multi-brand operators, disciplined financial leadership will be critical in supporting franchisees as they scale responsibly.”

During her tenure at Denny’s, Money partnered with more than 200 franchisees to enhance systemwide profitability through pricing strategy, cost management and performance analytics. She also played a key role in the acquisition and integration of Keke’s Breakfast Cafe and supported enterprise capital planning initiatives within a large-scale, publicly traded restaurant system.

Money holds a master of accountancy and a bachelor of science in accounting from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is a certified public accountant in South Carolina.

“Eggs Up Grill has built a strong brand and a loyal franchise network,” Money said. “I look forward to partnering with the leadership team and franchisees to accelerate growth, enhance financial performance and create long term value.”

Eggs Up Grill continues to pursue expansion opportunities nationwide, with a strategic focus on attracting experienced multi-unit and multi-brand operators seeking scalable daytime concepts. The brand recently announced a five-unit development agreement in Houston as part of its broader Texas growth strategy and will exhibit at the upcoming Multi-Unit Franchising Conference in Las Vegas in March.

For more information about Eggs Up Grill, visit https://eggsupgrill.com.

About Eggs Up Grill

Founded in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, Eggs Up Grill is a daytime restaurant franchise brand serving breakfast, brunch and lunch for more than 25 years. As “home to the whole neighborhood,” the brand operates more than 100 locations nationwide, with more than 90 additional units in development or committed to open. Eggs Up Grill has earned repeated recognition across leading franchise rankings, including designation as a Most Profitable Franchise by Franchise Business Review and inclusion on Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500®.

Search