South Carolina Business Review

SC is home to fast-growing restaurant chain

By Mike Switzer

Published January 16, 2026 at 6:30 AM EST

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Ricky Richardson

Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill in Spartanburg, SC

You’ve probably heard of our next guest’s company. In fact, you may have also stopped by for breakfast, brunch, or lunch. But you may not know that they are based in our state and have been rapidly growing across the Southeast. Mike Switzer interviews Ricky Richardson, CEO of Eggs Up Grill in Spartanburg, SC.

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Mike Switzer

After almost 20 years, Mike Switzer retired from Wells Fargo Securities in 2001 as Senior Vice President/Investment Officer and Certified Portfolio Manager. In 1999, he and his wife, Maggie, purchased and operated for eight years the Baskin Robbins ice cream store on Forest Drive in Columbia. They grew the store from a bottom-tier operation in the Baskin Robbins franchise system to one in the top 5% nationwide within three years, tripling sales along the way. While operating the ice cream store, Mike and Maggie received patents for a portable ice cream sink and fold-down sneezeguard they invented and in 2002 started Magnolia Carts, an ice cream cart manufacturing company, which they sold in 2013.

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