The last of the five Grits & Eggs locations recently opened in Atlanta’s Summerhill. Co-owner Michael Glover (above) said he wants to make sure diners know the difference between breakfast and brunch. “The reason we call ourselves a breakfast restaurant is because people will have breakfast with us. They won’t always have brunch with us.” Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceMichael Glover no longer uses the word “owner” on his business cards. Instead, Glover’s card says he’s the “steward” of the breakfast franchise Grits & Eggs. A native of Harlem, New York- it is rare to see him without a New York Yankees cap- Glover began a four-decade-long career in the restaurant business at a busy McDonald’s in Brooklyn. Glover references one of his favorite Bible verses as to why the word “steward” is a better way to describe his leadership style as one of the ownership group of Grits & Eggs.Read Matthew 25:14- 30, and you will better understand his reasoning for not calling himself an owner. The verse reads in part: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!”The fried chicken and buttermilk biscuit sandwich (above) combines a piece of fried chicken and scrambled eggs smothered in white chicken sausage gravy. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceOn Monday afternoon, Glover told The Atlanta Voice that he believes it is better to share the success of the Grits & Eggs franchise. Along with two other business partners, Chef Rasul York also has been given a small percentage of the business. An experienced personal and corporate chef, York joined the company three years ago and has been a staple at all locations ever since. On Tuesday afternoon, he was on his way to one of the Grits & Eggs when he stopped to talk to Glover, who was sitting at a table and taking part in the interview for this story.  The two pancakes and eggs breakfast (above) is served with strawberries and blueberries, two eggs any style, grits or homefries, and a choice of bacon, turkey bacon, or pork sausage. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceThere are five Grits & Eggs locations in Metro Atlanta, including Vinings, Marietta, Midtown, and Buckhead, and the Summerhill location, the newest of the bunch, will be the last, according to Glover. “This is the last one before we decide to do any franchising or accept any public offers,” Glover explained. Grits & Eggs is the only Black-owned and operated dining option in Summerhill, which was once an all-Black neighborhood and home of the Atlanta Braves. Today, it is a tiny, upper-middle-class enclave for white people and Georgia State University students fortunate enough to be able to afford student housing or one of the apartments in the area. The opening of a Publix supermarket in the summer of 2023 signaled a new day in Summerhill. The neighborhood could have easily been described as a food desert before the popular Florida-based supermarket chain moved in.Grits & Eggs brings a different dining option to the neighborhood. As a Black-owned business, Glover wants to be clear about the difference between a breakfast restaurant and a brunch spot.  “We call ourselves a breakfast restaurant because people will have breakfast with us. They won’t always have brunch with us,” Glover said, a smile creasing across his face. “Our performance will dictate whether a customer comes back or not.”The crab cake Benedict (above) at Grits & Eggs. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceThe music inside Summerhill Grits & Eggs was a heavy dose of Motown’s finest hits. That is by design, says Glover. He wanted the atmosphere to be comfortable for all who entered. Grits & Eggs even uses Halal products to better accommodate Muslim customers. The menu at Grits & Eggs features some of its well-known grits + protein dishes. The salmon and grits plate can be grilled, blackened, or fried. The fried catfish, shrimp, lobster tail, and grits offer an interesting twist on the popular shrimp and grit entree. The fried chicken and buttermilk biscuit sandwich combines a piece of fried chicken and scrambled eggs smothered in white chicken sausage gravy. The two pancakes and eggs breakfast is served with strawberries and blueberries, two eggs any style, grits or home fries, and a choice of bacon, turkey bacon, or pork sausage. There are also Ms. G’s coconut pancakes, which are topped with a coconut glaze and coconut flakes.“Our performance will dictate whether a customer comes back or not,” said Grits & Eggs co-owner Michael Glover (above). Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice“Our trademark is grits, and you have to taste our catfish, shrimp, and grits,” Glover said. Asked what makes the chicken and waffles at Grits & Eggs different from the many chicken and waffles on menus across Atlanta, Glover said it was the chicken. “The flavor of our chicken will always be the difference,” he said. “If you like the fried chicken, you’re always going to go somewhere where the chicken tastes good on top of that waffle.” Grits & Eggs Summerhill is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.The post Grits & Grind: Grits & Eggs is adding soulful flavor to Summerhill’s dining scene appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.