Restaurateur Johan Engman, founder and CEO of Breakfast Republic and Eggies, started out as a dishwasher in the industry and now owns more than a dozen eateries, including a new one in La Jolla.
Born and raised in Sweden, Engman emigrated to the States at age 17. “I needed a job to pay rent and the only job I could get was as a dishwasher in a restaurant,” he said adding he gave himself an “ultimatum” eight years later. “I said, ‘If I can’t figure out a way to make a career out of this industry – I’m going to get out of it.’”
Engman said he “managed to scramble together a shoestring budget on money saved from working multiple jobs” to open Fig Tree Cafe in north Pacific Beach. He noted it took him “three years to turn my first profit,” pointing out “determination, and stubbornness, got me through. The reality is I didn’t have anything to fall back on if it didn’t work out.”
Creation of Breakfast Republic/Eggies, noted Engman, then flowed from his re-evaluation of Fig Tree’s business concept. He asked himself how he could “tweak things, change this and that,” if he had to do it again.
“I wanted to rebrand and diversify from Fig Tree,” Engman said adding, “I wanted to identify what we do in the name of the restaurant. So I called it Breakfast Republic. All we do is breakfast: That’s what we focus on.”
Both Fig Tree and Breakfast Republic are now part of the Rise & Shine Restaurant Group, the “umbrella” company for all Engman’s restaurants specializing in breakfast establishments, but branching out into other areas including Mexican cuisine
Of his new La Jolla location at 637 Pearl St., Engman said: “It’s a nice little corner spot with really good visibility. It is smaller than our average location.”
At family-friendly Breakfast Republics, guests can indulge in menu favorites like the Breakfast Jambalaya, Crab & Crawfish Cake Benedict, California Breakfast Burrito, and Steak ‘n’ Eggs. Children won’t be able to resist the Oreo Cookie Pancakes or S’mores French Toast.
“It’s a chef-driven menu,” said Engman. “We source local ingredients and roast our coffee ourselves. I love traveling and I’ve taken inspiration from both New Orleans and the south. It’s a very creative menu with something for everybody”
Engman added part of Breakfast Republic’s menu is healthier for the gym crowd specifying how many carbs and how much protein items contain. The menu also includes vegan choices.
If you’re on the go, head over to Eggies, the to-go counter service located at Breakfast Republic La Jolla. Grab Eggies’ favorites like the Chilaquiles Hot Dog, Potato Hash Jar, or the Eggies Classic, which features an over medium egg, eggcellent sauce, maple-sage breakfast sausage, applewood smoked bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese on a brioche bun. At breakfast Republic/Eggies, the whole family can enjoy the most important meal of the day 365 days a year.
What distinguishes Breakfast Republic/Eggies from the competition?
“The kind of whimsical and fun design, a lot of details that you can discover as you come in,” answered Engman, adding they have a brunch concept with a full liquor license at all locations. “As a company, we’re very much focused on culture in general,” he added.
Not a fan of franchising, Engman intends to expand “one step at a time, one state at a time. In two years, I’d like to go outside of California,” he said. “I’d guess, in five to six years, that we’d have 45 to 50 locations.”
BREAKFAST REPUBLIC AND EGGIES
Where: 637 Pearl St.
Hours: 7 a.m.-3 p.m. daily.
Info: breakfastrepublic.com
