famous-toastery-frandev

FranchiseTimes Top 400 - 2024

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:26:24 GMT

The Franchise Times Top 400® is an exclusive annual ranking of the largest U.S.-based franchise systems by global systemwide sales. The project is the result of a five-month research and reporting effort that leads to the most credible and objective franchise ranking available.

Famous Toastery Expands to New Markets and Introduces New Look

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:24:08 GMT

September 11, 2024 // Franchising.com // CHARLOTTE, NC – Famous Toastery is proud to announce a strong start to the second half of 2024 marked by newly-signed franchise agreements, an initial rollout of a fresh new aesthetic, and strategic partnerships.

Famous Toastery signaled a bold new step to expanding its regional footprint with a 5-unit deal in Raleigh, NC, signed by Anuj, Hina and Nisang Patel. Furthering the brand’s presence in the area, Famous Toastery also added its first franchise in Fuquay-Varina, NC with a signed agreement by Larry Terhune.

“We are thrilled to bring the Famously Fresh flavors of Famous Toastery to new communities with these deals,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery.

Coming in the second half of the year, Famous Toastery guests can expect a fresh look to their go-to brunch spot. The brand will launch an evolution of their current look with a new design that includes a new logo and color scheme, updated uniforms and new menus – which feature a new look and feel to their core food and cocktail offerings, with the addition of margarita flights as an example.

“Our guests are our top priority, and providing them with a great experience is our number one goal,” added Sebazco. “We heard the guest feedback and used it to guide our brand refresh, from the bright uniforms to the delicious new cocktail and food menus, as well as our new logo. While we are unveiling our new primary logo, our team is just as excited to present our new secondary logo that pays homage to our original branding as we continue to evolve.”

The first stage of the new look was recently launched on the Famous Toastery website providing guests with a digitally enhanced experience that features unique location pages for each restaurant and a much friendlier consumer experience. Famous Toastery fans can expect to see bright new colors implemented on the website in the coming weeks, as the new branding is simultaneously unveiled at restaurants. In tandem with the new website, Famous Toastery will continue to showcase its digital evolution by launching its first loyalty program – a tool they’ll use to show guest appreciation and provide valuable insights to franchisees and its corporate team in order to provide an exceptional guest experience. Through the use of data from the loyalty program, the Famous Toastery team can continue to evolve to exceed the needs and expectations of their guests.

Famous Toastery Celebrates Strategic Growth to Kick Start Second Half of 2024

Mon, 18 Nov 2024 19:19:59 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Famous Toastery , the renowned better breakfast franchise known for its Famously Fresh and simple-scratch menu, is proud to announce a strong start to the second half of 2024 marked by newly-signed franchise agreements, an initial rollout of a fresh new aesthetic, and growing strategic partnerships.

Forward Momentum for Franchise Growth

Famous Toastery signaled a bold new step to expanding its regional footprint with a 5-unit deal in Raleigh, NC, signed by Anuj, Hina and Nisang Patel. This marks a pivotal milestone as Famous Toastery emerges as a brand optimal for multi-unit agreements due to its increasing demand and popularity in a myriad of communities. Furthering the brand's presence in the area, Famous Toastery also added its first franchise in Fuquay-Varina, NC with a signed agreement by Larry Terhune. Beyond this expansion in its home state, Famous Toastery is expecting strategic, nationwide growth to come to fruition by the end of 2024.

"We are thrilled to bring the Famously Fresh flavors of Famous Toastery to new communities with these deals," said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. "Expanding our Raleigh footprint and adding the Fuquay-Varina community to our Famous Toastery family while broadening our franchise offerings with multi-unit owners signals our positive momentum forward, and we are proud to have them represent our brand."

FSR NextGen 25: The Restaurants Leading a Full-Service Revolution

Sun, 12 May 2024 22:24:18 GMT

These elevated chains are ready to redefine the future of full-service dining.

Ambition, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence are the qualities that mark the true trailblazers in the restaurant world. As we cast a spotlight on this year's NextGen 25 brands, we're not just talking about restuarants; we're welcoming a new era in full-service dining. The NextGen 25 movement is redefining hospitality and the very essence of eating out by merging cutting-edge culinary artistry with experiences that resonate and connect with guests. These brands are setting a new benchmark with menus that intrigue and inspire, atmospheres that draw diners into another world, and service that raises the bar for what it means to be truly taken care of.

CHECK OUT LAST YEAR'S LIST

Whether these brands are at one or 100 units, eyeing the franchise horizon, or courting the next big investors, each brand in our NextGen 25 list brings something unique to the table. Though their growth strategies may differ, the end goal is the same: to revolutionize the full-service restaurant industry.

NC-based Famous Toastery named title sponsor for Charlotte college football bowl game

Sun, 12 May 2024 22:14:00 GMT

A Charlotte-based chain will have its name on the Queen City’s latest bowl game. ESPN Events announced Tuesday morning that Famous Toastery will be the title sponsor of the upcoming bowl game in Charlotte. The Famous Toastery Bowl is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 18, at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

“The Famous Toastery Bowl is a perfect showcase for those that are not quite familiar with Famous Toastery and the city of Charlotte,” Mike Sebazco, president of Famous Toastery, said in the release about the company’s first sports partnership. “We’re extremely proud to be involved with the game and the opportunity it presents to these student athletes.”

This bowl game, which will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and air on ESPN, was moved to Charlotte for this year after the Bahamas Bowl announced it wouldn’t be held this year due to stadium renovations. This bowl, usually featuring teams from the Mid-American Conference and Conference USA, is expected to return to the Bahamas in 2024.

“We’re thrilled to have such a beloved locally-based company like Famous Toastery as the sponsor for our college football bowl game in Charlotte,” Clint Overby, vice president of ESPN Events, said in the release. “The move to the Charlotte 49ers’ Jerry Richardson Stadium and this sponsorship all came together very quickly, and we are very thankful to have such supportive partners for this bowl game.”

The matchup and ticket information will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 3.

Angela Goodman of Famous Toastery Awarded Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:58:17 GMT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Seth Goodman

sgoodman@fishmannpr.com

(847) 945-1300

Angela Goodman of Famous Toastery Awarded Franchisee of the Year by International Franchise Association

PHOENIX, Feb. 19, 2024 – The International Franchise Association (IFA) named Angela Goodman, owner of Famous Toastery in Ashburn, Va., as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Goodman was honored at the 64th IFA Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.

“Franchisees of the Year exemplify what franchising is all about – providing opportunity, serving others, and fulfilling the American Dream,” said Matthew Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “We are proud to recognize Angela with the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and I have no doubt her work is changing lives and making a lasting community impact.”

The Franchisee of the Year Award recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their involvement in their communities, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering a strong and healthy culture with their workforce, and assisting their fellow franchisees when called upon.

After frequenting one of Famous Toastery’s original locations as a guest, and spending 15 years in corporate America working for a Fortune 500 company, Goodman decided she wanted more of a connection to her community. She took a chance on herself and decided to bring Famous Toastery – a brand that aligned with her own core values – to her new hometown in Northern Virginia. While she entered the restaurant industry with no prior experience in 2016, she has since become a leader among the brand by building relationships with staff and customers alike to create success. Goodman continues to foster those community ties as she helps grow Famous Toastery’s reputation for Famously Fresh food in a welcoming atmosphere.

“I am honored to be nominated by Famous Toastery for this award,” said Goodman. “Being selected by the IFA and joining a list of incredible leaders is very humbling. It is great to have my efforts recognized, and I’m ready to pay it forward and help other franchisees.”

“It is very exciting for the Won Life Brands family to have Angela of Famous Toastery and the Rosario family, who own and operate two Flour Power Studios in Georgia, awarded this prestigious honor,” said Robert Maynard, Founder of Won Life Brands. “They are both role model franchisees for our brands and exemplify what it means to represent Won Life Brands within their communities.”

There are over 800,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.7 million direct jobs and generating over $850 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics , franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to “Be Famous” in their local community by offering “Famously Fresh” meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where “every server is your server.” The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to 25 locations today. In 2023, Famous Toastery was awarded the naming sponsorship rights for The Famous Toastery Bowl played at UNC Charlotte. Famous Toastery has earned recognition from Restaurant Business’ The Future 50 (2019, 2020), Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises (2019) and Franchise 500 Rankings (2019, 2022), as well as CNBC as a top franchise to buy (2018), FSR Magazine as a Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off (2018), Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies, and Franchise Times’ Top 200+ franchise opportunities (2018). For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com . To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

ABOUT WON LIFE BRANDS

Won Life Brands is a premier growth and development company focused on delivering excellent experiences in the communities it serves. Won Life Brands operates company-owned properties and offers franchise opportunities across their brands, which includes Famous Toastery, Cartridge World, Flour Power, BBS: Your Big Burger Spot, Abby’s Better Nut Butter and VaVia.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION

Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 806,270 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.7 million direct jobs, $858.5 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.

Famous Toastery president has unique link to ODU, shares just hours before bowl matchup vs Western Kentucky

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:52:01 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WAVY) — Call it a match made in heaven, call it a coincidence, or call it whatever you want. Old Dominion is in the Famous Toastery Bowl, and the fact that it is the Famous Toastery Bowl is the reason why it’s ironic.

A lot of people may have been looking at this game thinking “What the heck is the Famous Toastery Bowl?”

You would be valid for thinking that, because not a lot of people outside of the Charlotte area may know what it is, considering it’s a brunch establishment with only 25 total locations.

Mike Sebazco is the president of Famous Toastery, and actually has a very unique but interesting connection to Monarch nation. His nephew, Cole Stringer was an All-Conference USA midfielder on the ODU men’s soccer team. Now, Mike said Cole was going to go to the game, but recently brought his newborn baby into the world.

That baby is already donning the ODU colors, as you can see. Adorable.

Kick off at UNC Charlotte is Monday, December 18, at 2:30 p.m.

Famous Toastery’s Parent Company, Won Life Brands, Announced as Finalist for “Best in HR” Award in Charlotte, NC

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:48:37 GMT

October 20, 2023 // Franchising.com // CHARLOTTE, NC – Won Life Brands – parent company of Famous Toastery has been announced as a finalist for The Charlotte Business Journal’s 2023 Best in Human Resources Award. “At Won Life Brands, our commitment to excellence in human resources is unwavering,” said Robert Maynard, Founder and CEO of Won Life Brands. “This recognition serves as a testament to the dedication of our incredible team and we will continue to strive for excellence and innovation in HR, making people's lives better one career at a time."

The Journal’s annual award – which will be presented on Thursday, October 19, honors the vital work human resources professionals do to make companies in the Charlotte region successful. They, along with their businesses, are responsible for the positive impact on employees and the overall organization.

“Our focus is to find and develop great talent that allows us to continue to grow and scale our brands,” said Schyler Houck, Vice President of Human Resources for Won Life Brands.

“Human Resources plays a pivotal role in helping any company succeed, especially as work culture and balance remain among the top priorities for employees,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “Won Life Brands’ commitment to HR and their employees is evident throughout the work they’ve done while helping Famous Toastery grow and develop.”

Famous Toastery not only owns brunch, it makes it Famous: The brand believes food should be both decadent and nutritious, uncompromisingly fresh, and served to order quickly with service that is just as satisfying as the menu. With an emphasis on perfecting classic breakfast items while simultaneously injecting craveable twists to their food and cocktail menus, Famous Toastery prides itself in serving a fresh, simple-scratch made breakfast and brunch menu in a welcoming atmosphere. A perfect destination for anyone who appreciates delicious, home-style cooking, Famous Toastery’s menu consists of decadent recipes expertly crafted with the freshest ingredients and, of course, 100% Grade A pure maple syrup.

Won Life Brands, Famous Toastery’s Parent Company, Named Among Best Places to Work in Charlotte

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:41:40 GMT

October 30, 2023 // Franchising.com // CHARLOTTE, NC - Won Life Brands, parent company of Famous Toastery, has been announced as a finalist for the Best Places to Work award by The Charlotte Business Journal. The award highlights local employers – big and small – that have perks, practices and policies to attract and keep top talent.

“As a company with just one year under our belt, we’re incredibly honored to be already making waves in the Charlotte area as finalists for this ward,” said Robert Maynard, Founder and CEO of Won Life Brands. “We’re thrilled to be able to offer a place in Charlotte where people not only want to work, but where they’re proud to work.”

Earlier this year, The Charlotte Business Journal recognized Won Life Brands as one of the Best in Human Resources in the area. Winners for the outlet’s Best Places to Work Award will be announced at a celebration event on November 2.

“Won Life Brands demonstrates the unique ability to not only help businesses grow, but also cultivate talent within their brands, ensuring brand success,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “Partnering with a company that values creating a desired work environment is of the upmost importance to us. Won Life Brands’ profound dedication to the communities their brands serve is contagious and can be felt throughout the entire Famous Toastery franchise.”

Famous Toastery believes food should be both delicious and nutritious, uncompromisingly fresh, and served to order quickly with service that is just as satisfying as the menu. A perfect destination for anyone who appreciates mouthwatering, home-style cooking, Famous Toastery’s menu consists of decadent recipes expertly crafted with the freshest ingredients and, of course, 100% Grade A pure maple syrup.

How the Famous Toastery Bowl came to be

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:33:40 GMT

This is the story of how a 24-unit regional breakfast-and-lunch chain with a marketing staff of two pulled off the title sponsorship of a nationally televised college bowl game … on six weeks’ notice.

Stadium renovations forced the move of the 2023 Bahamas Bowl to Charlotte, N.C.—the home turf of Famous Toastery. The chain had recently inked a partnership with NASCAR driver (and 2021 Daytona 500 champ) Michael McDowell, who connected ESPN events with Famous Toastery, according to VP of Marketing Lorna Martinez.

And, thus, the Famous Toastery Bowl, which took place on Dec. 18 between Western Kentucky University and Old Dominion University at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, was born, complete with toast mascot racing at half time, the chain’s first TV ad, and WKU’s victory celebration that featured players with fistfuls of toast, making “toast angels” on the field and throwing slices of bread into the sky.

“We are a small bunch when it comes to Famous Toastery,” Martinez said. “You would think that a brand like this has, you know, at least some sort of division of PR or marketing. We’re a marketing team of two … We’re a small group but we all knew we would pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and make this happen. So, I think that’s the beauty of it. It felt like, all right, this is our underdog brand that could, the little engine that could … And, so, there was never a doubt in our minds that, you know, six weeks, let’s just get it done.”

Getting it done included a long punch list, one most sponsors take a year to complete. Among the tasks: Creating a media plan to announce the bowl game, preparing for the coin toss and half-time show, building a 30-second TV spot from scratch, creating a logo, writing radio ads, developing a social media strategy and, perhaps most importantly, figuring out how to capitalize on the Famous Toastery Bowl long after the stadium had emptied.

Famous Toastery pulled together a bowl sponsorship on six weeks' notice. | Photo courtesy: Famous Toastery

“The goal is franchise development,” Martinez said. “Bringing Famous Toastery to these other communities and getting that brand recognition, getting that brand curiosity for people who are not in our markets … I don’t want it to be kind of like ‘and we once did a bowl game.’ I want it to still feel pertinent and resonate with people, more of a validator of us in the space when it comes to franchise development.”

Famous Toastery made sure that all of the marketing materials it created for the bowl would be evergreen, so it would have a range of radio ads, TV spots and more that it could employ this year and next.

“So now we have that kind of toolbox and we have all those tools in the toolbox that we didn’t have before,” she said.

Martinez declined to say how much Famous Toastery spent on the sponsorship or its preparations.

Bowl watchers will likely recall that Famous Toastery wasn’t the only breakfast carb-hawker that sponsored a big game this season.

The inaugural Pop-Tarts Bowl generated a raft of memes thanks to its scene-stealing edible live mascot who emerged centerfield from a giant toaster.

For Famous Toastery’s part, sharing the toaster spotlight was just fine, Martinez said. People were tagging Famous Toastery on social media following the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

“We loved it,” she said. “And it benefited us in the sense that we were now part of a conversation that maybe we weren’t a part of, and reaching their audience … It all weaves together to help us a raise awareness and visibility in a fun, light-hearted way.”

Famous Toastery Boosts Its Brand With A College Bowl Game

Sun, 12 May 2024 21:29:57 GMT

Famous Toastery, with 24 locations, has raised its profile by sponsoring the college football, Famous Toastery Bowl, in Charlotte. Pictured is its Mooresville, N.C. location.COURTESY OF FAMOUS TOASTERY

A recent sports article in The Athletic (owned by the New York Times NYT +0.7% ) highlighted the slew of sponsored college bowl games that have sprung up over the years that sound more like advertisements than sporting events including Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the PopTarts Bowl and Cheeze-It Citrus Bowl. From that one bowl game, Duke’s Mayonnaise said it generated 35 million social media impressions and attracted nearly 2.7 million viewers.

And on December 18 came the Famous Toastery Bowl, representing the restaurant chain Famous Toastery that owns 24 locations, with 17 franchised and 7 company-owned. It’s a breakfast and lunch eatery, which closes at 3 p.m. and launched in Huntersville, N.C., outside of Charlotte, in 2005. Its located in three states, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Since it doesn’t serve dinner, it competes against other breakfast, brunch and lunch chains such as First Watch and Snooze A.M.

At the Famous Toastery Bowl, Western Kentucky beat Old Dominion University in a thrilling game, 38 to 35, by kicking a field goal in overtime at Jerry Richardson Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Famous Toastery started its corporate involvement by sponsoring Michael McDowell, a Daytona 500 NASCAR racer. McDowell introduced them to ESPN, which was looking for a sponsor after the Bahamas Bowl was cancelled.

Going From Regional to National

Mike Sebazco, the president of Famous Toastery, seized on the opportunity to get its name associated with an ESPN broadcast. “Our goal was to take Famous Toastery from a regional name to a national level,” he explains. Asked how much Famous Toastery paid to sponsor the game, he declines to disclose that sum.

Several Bowl Game Benefits

Sebazco says it achieved several goals in sponsoring that college football bowl including: 1) Raising its brand’s visibility, 2) Familiarizing people with Famous Toastery who didn’t know the brand, 3) Helping increase franchise development by luring in new franchisees, 4) Intensifying its national visibility because of ESPN’s massive presence and help it extend to new markets.

A breakfast and lunch eatery, Famous Toastery has uplifted its brand by associating with a college football bowl, mirroring brands such as Pop Tarts and Cheeze-It.

Asked the bowl’s effect on the brand, Sebazco noted that via all of its social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (now called X), it generated one million impressions in December, a 10% spike over November. Sales at Famous Toastery locations that month increased by 5%.

Sponsoring a bowl game exceeds the reach of targeted ads on Facebook or TikTok, which many regional restaurant chains employ. Sebazco said that most social media ads reach “people that already follow you. With this bowl game, we were able to reach a national audience for three hours straight, from branding on the field and commercials, to our national trophy presentation.”

Social media impressions flick by in a fleeting way. With the bowl competition, he expected that the “buzz would continue after the game.”

He hopes it will attract more potential franchisees. “We expect that increased name recognition and credibility will help expand our reach beyond our current markets,” he says

Sebazco describes the core menu at Famous Toastery as “fresh, daily breakfast and lunch items whether you’re having brunch with family, breakfast with co-workers or lunch with friends.”

Its three most popular items selected include: 1) The blah-blah-blah omelet, based on three selected items, 2) Breakfast combo of flapjack or French toast with two eggs any style, 3) Its Famous Toastery Bowl, which are two eggs done “your way” with a choice of sausage gravy or hollandaise served over potatoes.

It also generates about 15% of its overall revenue from off-premises sales including using most third-party deliverers and its own to-go orders via its own app.

Why Its Business Model Resonates with Franchisees

Furthermore, Sebazco notes that the breakfast and lunch business model works well for many franchisees because “it’s a one-shift model. They get to have a life after closing their doors for the day.” So it eliminates the dinner shift and late nights and establishes better work-life balance.

In 2024, it plans on extending its boundaries beyond its three existing states, and opening its first locations in Florida, starting in Jacksonville and then adding four more.

Asked the three keys to its continued success, Sebazco replies: 1) Choosing the best ingredients in the space, 2) Creating a community for guests to gather in, 3) Being a reliable partner to staff, guests, and local charities.

Famous Toastery poised to expand beyond Cary

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:59:00 GMT

Famous Toastery came to Cary’s Waverly Place in 2014, the first of the Charlotte area’s brunch chain to enter the Triangle market.

Then, it was known as Toast Cafe. Despite some brand confusion – a corporate name change shortly after it opened – the Cary location has become one of the highest grossing restaurants in the franchise.

And it’s shown franchisee Dean Kessel that he’s ready to grow. Kessel and his wife, Beth, have plans to expand by nine stores across the state in the next five years.

Their territory will cover Chapel Hill, Durham, North Raleigh, Wake Forest, Greensboro and Asheville, Dean Kessel said. He said he hopes to open two restaurants a year.

Kessel said he doesn’t have a specific site for his first expansion, but said he is close to securing one in the Triangle first.

“We can be opportunistic to find a deal that suits us,” he said.

Famous Toastery has been able to capitalize on the appeal of brunch – that special blend of breakfast and lunch dishes – that should suit everyone’s tastes, no matter the time of day. The restaurant also serves classic brunch drinks, such as bloody Marys and bellinis.

The breakfast menu has traditional items, such as eggs Benedict and omelets but adds decadent stuffed French toast, flavored pancakes (raspberry, peanut butter and banana, for example) and sunrise burritos (egg whites, brie and avocado) with homemade salsa.

Lunch features sandwiches, wraps, salads and burgers.

Both menus are served 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., coinciding with the restaurant’s operating hours.

Famous Toastery lets Kessel return to his restaurant roots, which he explored in college with a Dreamland-To-Go ribs restaurant.

The bulk of his career has been spent in motorsports marketing. He was director of Sprint’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sponsorship and directed sports marketing for Lowe’s. Kessel said he helped secure naming rights for Charlotte Motor Speedway, which now is known as Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

He also was vice president and general manager for ESPN and B.A.S.S. fishing organization.

He became familiar with the Toast Cafe brand while working in Charlotte; the restaurant launched in 2005 in Huntersville. Kessel was at a Toast Cafe in Davidson with his wife, discussing their future, when he saw a notice on his table recruiting franchisees.

Kessel, 52, and his wife moved to Cary in 2014 to launch the restaurant. Beth handles restaurant administration as well as private events, which include showers, rehearsal dinners and birthday parties.

“It’s a great lifestyle brand,” Kessel said. “We open at 7 and close at 3 every day. It’s not only good for us as an ownership group, it’s good for our staff. Our team can be with their families in the evening.”

Kessel said everything is made from scratch. He said the restaurant follows an “every server is your server” model. If a customer drops a fork, any server can help.

“Everyone has to be responsible for the whole restaurant,” he said. “What that means for the customer is you don’t have to wait for anything.”

Kessel acknowledges the brand confusion he faced when he opened the first restaurant outside of Charlotte. In addition to the name change at the corporate level, there’s a Toast at Five Points in Durham, which focuses on sandwiches. The sign outside the Cary restaurant still bears the former name, he said.

But he said diners come to a restaurant for the food, not the name. And he’s excited to have been part of Waverly Place’s resurgence. Famous Toastery occupies a location that had been dormant for years. The restaurant seats 100 inside with a patio of 50 seats. Kessel said that’s a typical template for future restaurants.

He said the shopping center’s management has done a great job of bringing in new retail and upgrading the facility.

“We’re a premium offering,” Kessel said. “You have to put yourself in the right demographic. Waverly has been great for that.”

Famous Toastery also is scheduled to open a location in Morrisville in a new development at Weston Corners. The restaurant at 9928 Chapel Hill Road is expected to open in March, according to its Facebook page. It is not affiliated with Kessel’s franchise.

Becoming a Breakfast Chain’s First Ever Franchisee

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:57:00 GMT

When Jason and Michele Serkin moved to South Carolina for Michele’s career as a literacy facilitator, the couple was disappointed to discover the lack of quality breakfast options in the area. So, they decided to be a part of the solution, opening the first ever Famous Toastery franchise. Within six months, the franchisees had made $900,000. Here’s how they did it.

Name: Jason and Michele Serkin

Franchise owned : Famous Toastery (formerly Toast Café) in Tega Cay, S.C.

How long have you owned a franchise?

Seventeen months.

Why franchising?

We wanted the support and guidance of a proven business.

What were you doing before you became a franchise owner?

I was a stay at home dad and Michele was a literacy facilitator at an elementary school.

Why did you choose this particular franchise?

Famous Toastery has a great product and we wanted to bring it to our community.

How much would you estimate you spent before you were officially open for business?

Approximately $500,000.

Where did you get most of your advice/do most of your research?

We visited many restaurants and we asked people in the area what was their favorite breakfast and lunch place. We then asked ourselves which one stands out to us and is really successful. To us, there was not even a close second to Famous Toastery (then Toast Café).

What were the most unexpected challenges of opening your franchise?

Hiring employees that are willing and capable of working hard as well as creating an energy to make our service, atmosphere and food stand out.

What advice do you have for individuals who want to own their own franchise?

Make sure you have a plan and don’t necessarily take the cheapest or easiest way of doing things. Do your research and make sure you’re making the right decision for yourself. You bought a franchise for a reason, so let them guide you and teach you how to be successful.

What’s next for you and your business?

To make sure we continue to give our customers a great experience on every visit to Famous Toastery. We never want to just be ‘good.’ We strive to be ‘GREAT!’ We plan on opening more locations as well, to bring Famous Toastery to more families in surrounding communities who will enjoy a comfortable and enjoyable breakfast and lunch restaurant with outstanding food and service.

6 hot restaurant franchises to watch in 2016

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:56:00 GMT

Rocky road ice cream sandwiches, street-style tacos and falafel all have one thing in common: They are served by a group of restaurants Technomic says are franchisees to watch to 2016.

This year, franchising has drawn considerable attention as giants like McDonald’s and Wendy’s double down on refranchising their restaurants. Broadly, the business model enables companies to generate more consistent revenue streams and expand at a rapid clip without raising as much money.

Meanwhile, franchisees get to tap in to already-built brand equity and resources.

“For those with experience or lack of it in foodservice, getting on board with a franchise allows you to have a system in place to market and operate a business, because most people don’t have a clue,” Technomic President Darren Tristano said in a phone interview.

Technomic’s list includes several regional chains that are in the early stage of development — many of which cater to a niche food category.

“Overall, they tend to be newer, more contemporary restaurants,” Tristano said. “I think better is the singular theme. These restaurants are striving to a do a better job — with food, service and the experience.”

So which restaurants made the cut?

CREAM

With an eye toward the kid at heart, CREAM sells premium ice cream sandwiches with ice cream flavors like caramel cinnamon chill, and cookie varieties such as snickerdoodle and turtle.

Short for “Cookies Rule Everything Around Me,” CREAM is currently awarding area development agreements in the U.S. to qualified multi-unit operators. Right now, the chain has 22 locations in Nevada and California with plans for rapid development. Its goal is to have 120 by the end of 2017.

Famous Toastery

Founded before toast took an artisanal turn in the last few years, Famous Toastery markets itself as a breakfast and lunch spot with fresh food.

Currently only in the Southeast, the chain is looking for franchise partners in New York, Philadelphia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia.

Little Greek Restaurant

This Greek fast player just opened its 25th location, most of which are franchise operated. Next year, the restaurant chain plans to open seven more locations serving Mediterranean fare like falafel and gyros.

R Taco

The Mexican street-style taco joint has one food truck and 10 locations with another set to open in mid-January.

Known more for its wings than pizza, Buffalo Wild Wings made a majority investment in the chain last August while it was still known as “Rusty Taco.”

To become a franchisee, R Taco requires liquid capital of $750,000 and a net worth of $1.5 million. Initial start-up costs can reach $622,000.

Slim Chickens

With more than 30 locations dotting the country, Slim Chickens serves fast casual fare including chicken tenders and Buffalo wings.

To get a franchise up and running, franchisees can expect to shell out $400,000 to $927,000. Once they sign an agreement, franchisees have one year to open for business.

Blaze Pizza

The fast-casual pizza segment is one of the most closely watched in all of the industry. Technomic Associate Editor Lauren Hallow described it as a “lucrative opportunity” for franchisees.

Blaze has 103 locations and already has franchise agreements in place for large parts of the country — with one exception. It is looking for a multi-unit operator to bring the chain to Seattle.

Always time for wine at Famous Toastery

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:55:00 GMT

Wine isn’t just for lunch, happy hour, dinner, after-dinner and late night anymore. Now it’s for breakfast, too. So believes Famous Toastery, the “better breakfast” franchise that has unveiled wine pairings to match its omelets.

“We’ve had a lot of people say, ‘What goes well with this, what goes well with that,” says CEO Robert Maynard. “They say, ‘What goes well with a tofu omelet?’ and our people say, ‘I dunno.’ ”

That was in the past, though, because now several suggestions are on the menu, at one corporate-owned restaurant being used as a test. In a few weeks Maynard plans to roll out the new drinks menu to most of its restaurants, which are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day.

“If it’s 7:30 in the morning, I’m not sure we’re going to be selling too many of them. But if it’s a little later or especially on the weekends, we’ll have the ability to upsell,” Maynard says. Famous Toastery already has Bloody Marys, bellinis and mimosas on the menu, along with the recent switch to orange juice freshly squeezed in front of guests, tableside.

Pairings include a Fetzer Riesling with dried fruit, lavender, peach pineapple and pear with a “crisp finish” that pairs well with Famous Toastery’s tofu omelet.

Or some guests might prefer a Fetzer Eagle Peak Merlot that has black cherries and plums, caramel and toffee with spicy tannins, “pairing well with the famous Southwestern omelet.”

Alcohol sales vary by location, from 3 percent of sales to 5 or 6 percent. “For a breakfast place, that’s a lot,” Maynard says, and he expects the wine pairings to add to the pie, although the test is too early to tell. “Six weeks from now we’ll have some real data.”

Maynard and his team looked at all of Famous Toastery’s competitors, and determined that “nobody was doing it,” that is, offering wine pairings for breakfast and brunch.

“People drink alcohol and they do it every day, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t do it for breakfast,” he says.

Most important, “Your biggest guy is First Watch, and they don’t do alcohol. That’s not their plan,” he says about the largest player in the better breakfast space.

Plus, now that Famous Toastery is adding franchised stores, “you feel an obligation to provide something exciting for the franchisees and the patrons. You’ve got to add value,” Maynard says. “If someone is going to pay you a royalty every week for the rest of their time in the system, then you better be working just as hard to provide services, so you’re giving them that competitive edge.”

Maynard asked their wine suppliers out of California to put together the pairings. “They tasted stuff, they ate stuff, they figured it out,” Maynard says. “A sommelier was involved,” and so was he. “I had a blast just trying a grilled chicken bacon wrap with a nice Chardonnay.”

Maynard believes wine plays well with his clientele, who tend to be female and upscale. “Obviously my customer is not the guy that’s craving Waffle House,” he says. “This is what women like, and this is what women ask for.”

As for him, his favorite pairing is the California Bonterra Cabernet and the corned beef hash—a tasty-sounding combo at any time of day.

Using Facebook Ads To Get A Restaurant Off The Ground

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:54:00 GMT

In early 2014, Dean and Beth Kessel bought the franchise rights to open a Famous Toastery, a North Carolina-based breakfast and lunch restaurant. To prepare for a successful launch, Dean wanted to start building an audience months before the cafe’s doors opened. He knew his prospective customers were on Facebook — as of 2014, 48% of American Internet users were logging on — and that he could target them precisely with the social medium. Dean first created a Facebook page and started posting on it in March, even though the restaurant wouldn’t open until October.

The Kessels’ goal was to tell a story. “People get so inundated with ads,” he says. “We wanted to make the story about me and my wife. We’re here locally. Local-owned is big in our market.” In early June, Dean posted a picture of the gutted building where his cafe was going to open. “Demolition starts today!” the caption read. A post of Famous Toastery’s (then called Toast Cafe) new sign followed in July. In September he wrote, “The wait is almost over — we’re putting the final touches in,” drawing over 50 likes.

To build a following for the restaurant’s Facebook page, the Kessels each posted on their personal Facebook profiles. Dean promoted it to his LinkedIn connections. Whisk, the cookware store that sat next to the Famous Toastery’s future location, even posted on its Facebook page to promote its neighbor. The Kessels’ page acquired more than 400 fans.

“Facebook did a lot for us early on—it built anticipation,” Dean says. “It showed our momentum and how we were building. Our customer base likes that approachability.” During the construction phase, some people who had seen the posts stopped by to check in on the cafe’s progress.

Dean began running online ads in early August to drive more traffic to the Facebook page. He used social media software company Likeable Local to help kick off and automate the process. In targeting his Facebook ads, the franchisee homed in on ZIP codes located within a five-to-eight-mile radius of his cafe. He also targeted women, since he expected them to dominate his customer base.

Few people in Cary had heard of the Famous Toastery before the opening, since the other locations were more than a two-hour drive away in Charlotte. In the two months leading up to the launch, Dean spent about $2,500 on ads—less than one-third of the $8,000 to $10,000 he says is typical to spend on traditional media for a restaurant opening, and just 2% of his expected first-month sales. About half of his budget went to Facebook ads, while the other half went to Google search ads. Some of his most effective Google keywords were “restaurant in cary,” “cary cafe,” and “cafe in cary nc.” By the time the cafe opened in early October, Dean had doubled his Facebook fans to more than 800.

Dave Kerpen, founder and CEO of Likeable Local, adds a word of caution about using Facebook to acquire customers who have never heard of your business. He notes that it takes time—it took Dean’s business months to build a following. The key is to “get people to pay attention before they’re willing to spend money,” Kerpen says. Otherwise, if you need to acquire customers within a shorter timeframe, he suggests using Facebook ads that offer promotional discounts.

Dean’s sales objective for the first four weeks was about $115,000, based on what the other Famous Toastery stores in Charlotte were making. The Kessels beat that goal by 10%, grossing $125,000 in October. On weekends during those first four weeks, wait times were common. Dean thinks Facebook and Google were equally effective in driving customers to his store. He also experimented with Twitter and Pinterest but didn’t see substantial engagement.

He is happy with how the overall business performed last year. It reached $1.6 million in sales, and he expects to grow that number by 20% in 2016. He’s also considering opening another location.

Dean now spends about $300 to $500 a month on advertising, most of it on Facebook. “It’s maintenance right now,” he says. Over time, engagement on his Facebook page has plateaued. “We had a big push in the beginning. Now it’s on us to create good content.” He recently brought someone into the cafe to do face-painting for kids and posted about it on Facebook. “The engagement on that was crazy good,” he says.

But at this stage, word of mouth and customer experience are king. Explains Dean, “The best advertising is current customers recommending our place to friends, family and colleagues, and those current customers continuing to come back.”

‘Better breakfast’ chain adds Winston-Salem location, looks toward Greensboro

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:53:00 GMT

The Famous Toastery “better breakfast” chain, which has expanded from a single restaurant in Huntersville to 17 restaurants in four states in only four years, is doubling down on Winston-Salem with more locations planned in Greensboro.

Franchisee Bill Bingham said he expects his second Winston-Salem location, next to Cheddars in the Shoppes on Little Creek off Hanes Mall Boulevard, to open in May. He said the all that remains is the “outfitting” of the 3,400-square-foot restaurant, which he plans will seat at least 96 inside and another 26-28 on its patio.

“The sooner, the better,” said Bingham, who lives in Davidson and has another Famous Toastery in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte.

Robert Maynard, one of two founding partners of the chain, told Triad Business Journal that another franchisee, Dean Kessel, is “in the process” of buying land for an initial Greensboro location. Maynard said he expected the Triad to have “five to seven” franchises in the next “four or five years.” Kessel owns a franchise in Cary.

Maynard said his second Toastery would cost in the “$414,500 to $768,000 range” the chain’s website promotes to prospective franchisees, who pay a $35,000 franchise fee and royalties of five percent of gross revenue.

Bingham said he expects the Hanes Mall Boulevard location to attract the same type of demographic clientele of business people and local residents, but more walk-in customers than his downtown location, which has a thriving catering and business meeting business.

He said women typically make up 60 percent of the chain’s customers.

“I think we’ll have higher volume than downtown,” Bingham said. “it’s a different venue.”

Featuring fresh and organic ingredients sourced locally, Toastery offers breakfast and lunch items from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. It also has a gluten-free menu.

The menu — standard at all locations — includes breakfast favorites such as avocado omelets, portobella mushroom benedict and lobster rolls. Most entrees are around $10 or $11. Traditional items such as flapjacks, breakfast and a variety of lunch sandwiches, burgers and salads are also on the menu. Items such as avocado and lobster are “fresh.” Turkey, roast beef and other meat is sourced locally.

Toastery restaurants serve alcohol, including beer. Bingham said Bloody Marys, mimosas and wine produce most of the sales.

Maynard describes the interior decor as “farm chic.”

“We are at the highest level of affordable breakfast,” Maynard said. “The best way to describe is that we’re the antithesis of the greasy spoon.”

At the downtown restaurant, which opened at 770 W. Liberty View Court in the arts district in October 2015, Maynard said meatloaf omelets and the New Yorker, which includes scrambled eggs, smoked salmon with onions with a choice of hash browns, grits or fruit and toast, are among the local favorites.

The downtown restaurant has about 5,000 square feet total on three levels. The rooftop and the basement are adaptable for meetings or special events.

Each Toastery offers daily specials — the meatloaf omelet is an example — as well.

Toastery has nine metro Charlotte locations, including restaurants across the South Carolina border in Tega Cay and Indian Land. Other N.C. restaurants in operation are in Wilmington, Southern Pines and Cary. Other S.C. locations are in Myrtle Beach and Columbia. The others are in Ashburn, Va., and Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

Maynard said Toastery is in the process of opening 30 more restaurants. He said the first Philadelphia restaurant would open in about a month, and restaurants in Colorado and New York would open in the next six months.

From CFO to restaurateur: How a Raleigh executive switched careers

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:51:00 GMT

For much of Jim Buchanan’s corporate finance career, he was a setup man working for companies getting ready to go public, merge, acquire or be acquired by corporate investors seeking to push profits.

Full article only available if you subscribe to the Triangle Business Journal.

Famous Toastery is Ready to Grow its Better-Breakfast Empire

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:50:00 GMT

The 20-unit chain is bringing its lifestyle brand to audiences across the country.

There is a high rate of probability that during some part of Jeff Panella’s introduction to Famous Toastery his family was eating at the restaurant. In case he needed any more convincing, Panella could always turn to their well-researched testimony.

“I didn’t notice this at the time, but [my family in Charlotte, North Carolina] has been going to Toastery for many years,” he says. “In the restaurant business it’s really hard to get people to come into your locations four or five times a week, but they go there four or five times a week, and they rave about it.”

In early May, the better-breakfast chain, which has 20 locations throughout the Southeast and Philadelphia, announced Panella was stepping into the chief development officer role. His task: To position and guide the brand as it launches major expansion plans.

Panella spent nearly a decade with Wireless Zone, helping the company grow from around 100 stores to more than 450. While Famous Toastery is obviously a very different business, Panella says the sentiment is similar.

“It just depends on how good the model is and how good the potential franchisees are, and when you vet them properly and have a love for the system and follow the system, regardless of what business you’re in, you can be successful,” he says. “And that is really one of the great powers of franchising.”

A love for the system is what stamped the card for Panella. He met CEO and co-founder Robert Maynard at a mastermind meeting for franchising. The two started chatting and Panella was hooked.

“Robert is just down to earth,” Panella says. “There’s a great family atmosphere here. And Robert created a great brand and system franchisees can follow, a system they can easily follow.”

Panella says Famous Toastery has “so much interest that it’s actually hard to keep up.” The brand expects to have 30 restaurants open by summer’s end and 60—65 by mid-2018. And this growth is backed by actual franchises sold, not projections. Allowing a bit of guesswork, Panella believes the company will eclipse 100 stores by the end of next year.

“The proof is in the pudding right? I’m really excited about it. We’re inundated with requests to join the system, which is fantastic but we’re still early on,” he says. “… We have a number of more deals pending and we have interest every single day. Every day I’m getting leads. We don’t do a ton of lead generation and yet I’m getting multiple leads per day that are pretty darn good.”

There are a couple of explanations for why Famous Toastery, which began in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 2005 as a small-house-turned restaurant, feels like the shiny new red Corvette on the block.

Twelve years ago, a breakfast restaurant ditching preservatives, nitrates, deep fryers, and freezers, was tough to come by. It was even more unlikely from an operator’s perspective considering the cost-benefit equation. Did customers care? Or did they just want stacks of pancakes accompanied by reheated sausages?

However, in the current market, Famous Toastery’s commitment to ingredients and mindful eating places it right in the center of consumer demand. “We were early and now we’re just on time,” Panella says.

Another note is that as fast casual, quick service, casual dining, polished casual, and so on, expand their offerings and rewrite food trends, breakfast remains a staple of American life. Markets and demographics don’t tilt the scales. “The response nationwide has been incredible because everybody eats breakfast,” Panella says. “And they eat breakfast everywhere. Not everybody eats lunch and not everybody enjoys meat. Not everybody enjoy Mexican or sushi.”

That’s why Famous Toastery’s arrow is spinning instead of pointing in one direction. The brand has restaurants in the pipeline for New York and Colorado. There’s a unit in Exton, Pennsylvania, Ashburn, Virginia, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, and five in South Carolina to accompany the North Carolina stores. But this roadmap isn’t defined. Panella doesn’t see a town in America Famous Toastery wouldn’t work.

Factoring into Famous Toastery’s appeal is its reputation as a lifestyle brand. You’re as likely to see a server carrying mimosas and Bloody Marys as you are black coffee.

Famous Toastery has served wine, beer, and spirits since the early days, and introduced a signature pairing menu last summer that boosted alcohol sales around 35 percent. It even featured a menu to pair food with wine, with descriptions to boot. If you wanted a Chardonnay to join your avocado omelet, Famous Toastery made it happen.

From the franchisee perspective, Panella says operators love the brand because it’s a true full-service system.

“We do before, during, and after support and training. For the franchisees we have marketing support. Opening support.

Training support. Our brokers can help out,” he says. “So we help out through the whole process and then we offer support, regional support, even after they open.”

There’s also a straightforward fact luring franchisees: Famous Toastery closes at 3 p.m. That means an operator can lead a life where they work during the day and actually go home at night. Or, if they’re wired this way, they can run a Famous Toastery when it’s light outside and a dinner-only establishment when it closes up. Panella says they’ve seen both walks of franchisees express interest.

In some cases, they’re well-established operators who burned out on some of the bigger brands. Panella says they’re preferably looking for multi-door franchisees who want to open three to 10 stores, as well as operators who have experience in other systems and are excited to join the Famous Toastery family. Either way, a bond with the brand is crucial.

“I think the first thing we’re looking at is someone who is excited about Famous Toastery,” Panella says. “Someone who is eager to learn and has eaten at one of our locations and experienced our service and is enthusiastic about the food, the brand and the location, and how we do things. We’re offering a unique opportunity and we’re thrilled about the future.”

Jobless rate raises question: How much better can it get?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:49:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A drop in the unemployment rate to a 16-year low raises a tantalizing question about the job market: How much better can it get?

Earlier this year, economists worried that the low unemployment rate meant businesses would struggle to find workers and that would drag down the pace of hiring. Those fears were heightened by a tiny job gain in March and modest hiring in May.

Yet Friday’s jobs report suggests such concerns are premature. Employers added 209,000 jobs, after a solid gain of 231,000 in June, the Labor Department said. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3 percent, from 4.4 percent, matching the low reached in May.

The U.S. economy is benefiting from steady growth around the world, with Europe and Japan perking up and China’s economy stabilizing. Corporate revenue and profits are growing too, and the stock market has hit record highs.

Economists were particularly encouraged by the fact that more Americans are coming off the sidelines and finding jobs. For the first few years after the recession, many of the unemployed stopped looking for work.

Some were discouraged by the lack of available jobs. Others returned to school or stayed home to take care of family. The government doesn’t count those out of work as unemployed unless they are actively searching for jobs.

That trend began to reverse last year and has continued into 2017. To many economists, that means robust hiring could continue for many more months, or even years.

“There’s more people willing to work than the unemployment rate would have you believe,” said Nick Bunker, a senior policy analyst at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a liberal think tank.

President Donald Trump celebrated the data in a tweet shortly after the numbers were released. “Excellent Jobs Numbers,” he wrote, “and I have only just begun.”

Trump technically tweeted too early: His comment was posted at 8:45 a.m., just 15 minutes after the report was released. Federal rules specify that White House officials should wait for an hour before publicly commenting. The rule is intended to allow the data to be released without political spin.

President Barack Obama’s former top economic adviser, Jason Furman, noted the slip-up, calling it a “minor transgression.”

The pace of hiring so far this year, while solid, is pretty much the same as it was last year under Obama. Employers have added an average of 184,000 jobs a month through July, compared with 187,000 in 2016. Monthly job gains topped 200,000 on average in 2014 and 2015.

The steady hiring is adding up. In July, the proportion of Americans aged 25 through 54 who had a job or were looking for one rose to 81.8 percent, up a half-percentage point from a year earlier and the highest since December 2010.

Economists focus on that age group because it filters out the impact of retirements by the huge baby boomer generation and excludes younger workers who are more likely to be in school.

That means more Americans are optimistic about the job market and launching job searches. But that proportion is still substantially lower than the all-time peak of 84.6 percent, reached in January 1999.

The unemployment rate fell to a three-decade low of 3.9 percent the following year, in April 2000. That represented the best of all worlds: A low unemployment rate with a lot of people working or looking for work.

Economists doubt the jobless rate can fall that low again without touching off inflation, as employers are forced to offer higher pay to attract workers from a dwindling supply of unemployed. That, in fact, is why the Federal Reserve has raised short-term interest rates three times in the past seven months, which they hope will forestall future price increases.

But many economists worried that the ultra-low unemployment rate in 2000 would touch off inflation, and it did not. The economy at that time benefited from much higher rates of productivity growth, which allowed employers to raise pay and hire more without having to lift prices.

There’s also no way to know whether the proportion of people working or looking for work could return to its 1999 peak. Many economists are doubtful, in part because it rose sharply in the 1980s and 1990s as women flooded the workforce. The proportion of women working or looking for work has slipped since 2000.

Based on historical trends, the share of working-age Americans who either have jobs or are looking for one could rise another 0.7 percentage points. That would create 1.8 million more jobs, according to Andrew Sojourner, an economist at the University of Minnesota.

Robert Maynard, CEO of Famous Toastery, a 22-restaurant chain based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is still looking to hire. He plans to add 10 more restaurants later this year, which should create about 250 full-time jobs.

At the same time, he said, other restaurants are also expanding and some are even peeling away his employees by offering higher pay. He’s responded by boosting wages 10 to 15 percent.

“We’re fighting to get the best workers,” he said.

Restaurants and bars added a massive 53,100 jobs in July, roughly a quarter of all the job gains that month. And restaurant employees are seeing their pay rise faster than other workers. Average hourly pay in the industry jumped 4.7 percent in June from the previous year, the latest data available.

That compares to just 2.5 percent for all workers. Sluggish wage growth has been a persistent weak spot in the recovery. Wage gains are typically closer to 4 percent a year with the unemployment rate this low.

Some economists think it may be harder to pull many more workers off the sidelines.

A large proportion of those who aren’t looking for work say they are disabled or ill. Some research indicates many are addicted to painkillers, noted Jed Kolko, chief economist for Indeed, a job listings website.

“They’re the kinds of reasons that might not be overcome with slightly higher wages,” Kolko said. “It’s really hard to know what it would take to get people who have left the labor force to come back.”

And many economists argue that demographics will eventually limit how much more hiring can happen. The U.S. population is aging and population growth has slowed in the past two decades.

Hiring needs to stay healthy for people like Johnny Palmer, of Stone Mountain, Georgia. After a long stint out of work, he found a job in June at Northside Hospital in the Atlanta region, preparing meals for patients.

“It’s a lot of people still trying to find jobs,” he said. “But the bottom line is trying to find a job where you can make enough money to live above the poverty line. It’s hard,” he said.

Famous Toastery opens first store west of Mississippi

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:47:00 GMT

Call it serendipity. Call it fate.

Call it being in the right place at the right time.

Whatever it was, you can now call it Famous Toastery, the newest breakfast spot in Fort Collins.

Franchisee David Glista hosted a soft opening Thursday for the first Famous Toastery west of the Mississippi River. The store officially opens at 6:30 a.m. Friday at Harmony Commons, 3541 E. Harmony Road.

Glista's story is almost too good to be true.

The New Hampshire resident and his wife had fallen in love with Fort Collins' beer and bike culture while visiting their daughter, a student at Colorado State University, and decided to move here even though they had no jobs waiting for them.

When moving, they took the southern route from New Hampshire to visit their son in Washington, D.C., and meet friends farther south.

While waiting at dinner in North Carolina, they struck up a conversation with another couple, who were Famous Toastery franchisees.

"They were so excited about it," said Glista on a brief break from the chaos of Thursday's soft opening.

The Glistas continued to talk about the possibilities en route to Colorado, and pulled over in Little Rock, Arkansas, to call Famous Toastery Founder Robert Maynard.

They talked for more than an hour, Glista said.

The rest is history.

Glista signed a franchise agreement in December, signed his lease at Harmony Commons a month later and spent 10 weeks learning the ropes at other restaurants in the chain.

Maynard said in an interview he hesitated expanding the East Coast chain as far as Colorado.

"Most of our stores are within a five-hour drive," he said. "You can't just get in your car and drive to Colorado. It's scary."

Where to Find the Best Food and Drink in Greenville, South Carolina

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:47:00 GMT

Greenville, South Carolina, might not be on every epicure’s list (yet), but it’s only a matter of time. It’s currently touted as an emerging food-driven city, following in the culinary footsteps of Charleston. Greenville is a big city with a small-town feel, nestled between some of the South’s biggest players: Atlanta, Charlotte, Asheville, and the aforementioned Charleston. Mayor Knox White can be credited for bringing vibrancy downtown, along with Carl Sobocinski, president of Table 301 Restaurant Group, who has helped bring the city’s culinary scene to life. “It’s unbelievable to think that not so long ago we were the only ones in town,” says Sobocinski. “The Greenville culinary scene has evolved—rapidly—and with new spots being announced all the time, it’s exciting to think we were at the forefront of it all.”

Plus, Greenville happens to be home to Michelin’s North America headquarters and a gorgeous backdrop to Euphoria—a multiday food, wine, and music festival founded by singer-songwriter Edwin McCain and Sobocinski. (For the record, McCain does, in fact, perform during the festival.) “Back in the early 2000s, there were only a handful of food and wine festivals,” says Sobocinski. “Today, almost every city, big and small, has one, but back then we were doing something different and unique—and the fact that we added music as a third component was completely unheard of.” Each year, the festival draws wildly talented chefs such as Curtis Duffy (in his third year of attending), Dominique Crenn, and Michael Mina, to name a few.

Sean Brock’s ever-growing Husk empire is a solid indication of an up-and-coming food city. Set to open this fall, Brock’s goal for the highly anticipated Greenville location is to “explore and define what upcountry cuisine means to the Husk philosophy.

Guests can expect food inspired by my childhood, the Blue Ridge Mountains, and my Cherokee heritage.” One thing’s certain, Greenville is about to make a name for itself on the culinary map.

Here, a mouthwatering guide on where to eat and drink in our latest favorite Southern food city:

Downtown’s Top Tables

Soby’s, Greenville’s first non-meat-and-three restaurant to grace downtown in 1997, is a local’s staple serving refined Southern eats. The upcountry shrimp and grits, country ham and Brussels sprouts, and boiled peanut hummus are not to miss. For the best Reedy River view, book a patio table at the Lazy Goat and nosh on the chef’s talked-about paella and fried goat cheese balls—a hand-rolled luxury. Roost, with a “soil-to-city” approach, is a perfect spot to stop by for sharable snacks like a pimento cheese crock or flatbread after a stroll downtown. Newly opened Jianna presents dreamy pasta dishes and fresh oysters. Try the squid ink radiatori and the potato gnocchi (like pillowy BLT pockets)—or sit at the wraparound bar to soak up JJ’s cheeky personality while he shucks the most buttery East and West Coast oysters.

Casual and Cool

Fuel up with Greenville History Tours’s new breakfast tour. It’s a little history plus several breakfasts at the likes of Famous Toastery, Biscuit Head, and LeGrand Bakery. Then take a scenic stroll down the Swamp Rabbit Trail to burn off a few calories. Methodical Coffee, more like a mad science lab, is worth a stop for a tres leches or a refreshing cold brew mojito. It’s also wise to experience a morning bun courtesy of Bake Room, if they’re not all sold out (a word to the wise: arrive early). M.Judson is undoubtedly the most prized bookstore in the South, offering an impressive selection of Southern literature and cookbooks. A stop at Poppington’s guarantees fun by way of 24 karat gold–coated popcorn and quirky, palatable popcorn flavors like Bloody Mary and dill pickle, which can be washed down with a moonshine and whiskey tasting at Dark Corner Distillery just down the street. Caviar & Bananas can go several ways: a seasonal salad, caviar service for two, or a naughty (but worth it) fried green tomato BLT with a glass of sparkling. If available on a Saturday morning, the Greenville Saturday Market is time well spent—plus, Chancey Lindsey-Peake’s banana breads are out of this world.

Where to Drink

Pull up a seat at Crafted, Nose Dive’s craft cocktail bar on the second floor, where head mixologist Walker Pickering concocts elevated tiki cocktails and updated classics. Craft beer fanatics will appreciate one-of-a-kind brews from Upstate Craft Beer Co. and Birds Fly South Ale Project, while UP on the Roof caters to all with delightful libations and striking views of downtown Greenville. Vault & Vator provides speakeasy atmosphere alongside a signature Vow of Silence mezcal cocktail: the perfect way to end any evening. If too much fun was had, locals swear by Southern Pressed Juicery’s Hot Mess and Lord Have Mercy juices for a hangover cure.

The Neighborhood to Explore

The Village of West Greenville is like the Brooklyn of Greenville. The former textile mill turned arts district is worth the trip for a delightful dinner at The Anchorage alone. A no-reservation policy means first come, first serve, but there’s an upstairs patio with twinkling string lights where you can appreciate a Devil Makes Three cocktail if you have to wait. Chef Greg McPhee’s tasting menu is the way go as it will be hard to narrow down decisions—just know that Antebellum yellow grits and ricotta gnudi are two unforgettable dishes. If you’re roaming the neighborhood during the daytime, visit the Village Grind for proper latte art and the Golden Brown & Delicious for lunch.

A Quick Jaunt From Downtown

On the way to Greenville from the airport, make a pit stop at Bacon Bros. Public House. It would be wise to order the Potater Tots—topped off with pork shoulder, cheese, crispy pig ears, and sorghum vinegar—an obligatory meat board with house-made charcuterie, and Carolina rice and hash. If you have room, cross your fingers for a coveted slice of Elvis pie. Finally, try Stella’s Southern Brasserie, near Hollingsworth Park. It’s home to the best gin and tonic program in the city. Pick your gin of choice; it’ll be paired with a delightful house-made tonic. It might sound aggressive, but bring a friend and split the shrimp and heirloom panzanella salad, the Brasserie burger (with bacon jam!), and buttermilk okra frites.

U.S. Employers Slowed Pace of Hiring in December–Update

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:45:00 GMT

The pace of hiring slowed a bit in the final month of 2017, but remained robust for the year as a whole and the jobless rate held at a 17-year low, signs the broader labor market maintained plenty of momentum going into the new year.

Nonfarm payrolls rose a seasonally adjusted 148,000 in December, the Labor Department said Friday. That brought employment gains for the year to 2.1 million, the seventh straight year of increases exceeding two million. It is only the second time on record — the other being in the 1990s — when the economy has produced jobs at that pace for that long.

The unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, matching the lowest level since December 2000 for the third straight month, with benefits hitting a widening swath of the population. The unemployment rate for blacks fell to 6.8% in December, the lowest level since records were kept starting in 1972. Unemployment for Hispanics and Latinos was 4.9%, just above a record low. Those rates remained elevated relative to December’s 3.7% unemployment rate for whites.

Hiring has now risen for 87 straight months, the longest uninterrupted period of job expansion on record. The second longest run of job expansion — between 1986 and 1990 — was only about half as long.

The current labor-market expansion is more notable for its length than its strength. Payrolls grew by better than 2.5% annually, on average, during the economic expansions in the 1960s, 1980s and 1990s. Payroll growth has topped 2% for the year only once in the current upturn, in 2014. It was 1.4% in 2017, the smallest annual increase since 2010.

Still the economy could get an additional boost in the months ahead as business and individual income tax cuts passed by Congress go into effect. The cuts could stimulate consumer spending and business investment. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expect the economy to add another 2 million jobs in 2018, which would be a record-setting eighth straight year of job growth at or above that pace.

“The fact that job growth hasn’t tapered off faster — that’s pretty impressive,” said Kate Warne, economist and investment strategist at Edward Jones. “Job growth last year was pretty much the same as in 2016, and that’s our outlook for this year as well. We don’t expect anything radically different.”

Friday’s report showed employers added jobs in manufacturing, construction and health care in December. Employment fell in retail.

In theory, wage growth should be picking up as available workers become more scarce and businesses compete for labor. But average hourly earnings rose 2.5% in December from a year earlier, a similar, modest pace as maintained since early 2015. Wage gains look a bit better on a weekly basis, because Americans are working more hours.

Modest wage growth is one factor that is expected to keep the Federal Reserve restrained as it raises short-term interest rates in the months ahead. It is projected to raise rates three times this year, the next time in March.

As the expansion rolls on, companies are reporting increasing trouble finding qualified workers. That could spur wage gains in the months ahead as employers bid to take up and retain employees.

Famous Toastery, a North Carolina chain of breakfast restaurants, wants to add two restaurants a month over the next year. The biggest threat to that goal is being able to find workers, said Chief Executive Robert Maynard.

“If we need 50 people to open a restaurant, we hire 75,” he said. “We know on day one, X number of people won’t show up and X number of people won’t be qualified.”

He said workers frequently jump to better paying jobs, sometimes even before they start working at Famous Toastery. Still, the chain is reluctant to get into bidding wars with competitors over wages. Instead it is trying to attract workers with other perks, such as no evening work and consecutive days off for managers.

The share of Americans participating in the labor force held steady at 62.7% in December. Participation has largely moved sideways the past two years, a sign that some Americans are being drawn off the sidelines of the labor market and countering the long-run trend of aging baby boomers retiring.

Christopher Davis, 36 years old, lost his job as a contractor for the city of Chicago in 2014 when he plead guilty to a gun possession charge. After he was released from jail in 2015, he landed several interviews, but had job offers pulled after background checks. Last month he landed a job as a building manager at ABM Industries, a maintenance and janitorial services firm, with help from Cara, a social services nonprofit.

Mr. Davis said he earns about $10 less an hour than he did at his old job.

“It’s less, but it’s a great starting spot,” he said. “I’m looking to grow with the company and add more responsibility.”

Labor-force participation among workers between 25- and 54-years old edged up in December to the highest rate, 81.9%, since 2010. Still, the share of those working-age adults working or seeking work is well below prerecession levels.

A broad measure of unemployment and underemployment that includes Americans stuck in part-time jobs or too discouraged to look for work increased in December to 8.1% from 8.0% the prior month.

Sisters bring new breakfast concept to Suwanee, with plans for more

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:45:00 GMT

Two sisters are bringing five locations of a new-to-Georgia breakfast chain to metro Atlanta, with the first set to open tomorrow.

Carisse and Ebony Moody will open Famous Toastery at 1120 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. in Suwanee. The breakfast and lunch concept started in 2005 in the sisters’ native North Carolina and has locations throughout the southeast and Colorado.

The menu — which features dishes including stuffed French toast, avocado benedict, a variety of omelets and breakfast sandwiches, as well as lunch items such as wraps, sandwiches, salads and burgers — will also offer seasonal special dishes specific to the Georgia restaurants including peaches and cream crepes, Smores waffles and lobster mac and cheese.The restaurant will also soon serve alcohol, including custom cocktails.

This is the first foray into the restaurant industry for the Moodys (Carisse has a background in finance and Ebony works as an attorney) and the hope is that the venture will make it possible for them to assist their parents financially.

“They’ve sacrificed a lot for us to help us achieve our goals,” said Carisse, who will run the day-to-day operations of the restaurants. “It’s their time to relax, and if we can get them to that point quicker, we’re going to do that.”

She said they looked at several franchise possibilities, and landed on Famous Toastery because they loved the food and the “family environment,” with the 7 a.m.-3 p.m. business hours allowing the staff to have a good work-life balance.

The sisters plan to open four more restaurants north of Atlanta in the next four years, though they’re still settling on exact locations. Carisse said Suwanee was a natural fit for their first restaurant because of its similarity to her hometown in North Carolina.

The restaurant will be open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m., seven days a week.

Future 50 Famous Toastery

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:44:00 GMT

The 25-unit chain was founded in 2005 in a small house that Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard converted into a restaurant. It quickly grew to three locations, serving dishes such as avocado Benedict and housemade hash. The company started franchising in 2013 and has become mostly franchise-run. While it is still focused on dine-in traffic, the chain has had to adjust to the growing demand for grab-and-go options, adding more warmers and reach-in coolers.

Famous Toastery to cut ribbon on New York location this summer

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:43:00 GMT

Famous Toastery, a rapidly growing breakfast and lunch chain, is preparing to open its first location in New York.

A new 3,700-square-foot restaurant is expected to have its grand opening this summer in Long Island.

Even though the company was launched in North Carolina, the current expansion plan signifies a homecoming for its founders — Robert Maynard and Brian Burchill.

“We’re super excited,” Maynard told me. “It’s the hometown boys coming back.”

Maynard and Burchill are both native New Yorkers. Burchill’s experience spans 15 different N.Y.C. restaurants, including E.A.T. under the tutelage of New York food guru Eli Zabar.

Eventually, he asked Maynard to partner with him on a restaurant deal down South.

“I said he was out of his beeping mind,” said Maynard, who had a career on Wall Street. Still, Burchill persisted and sent him a roundtrip ticket to Huntersville, North Carolina.

They ended up purchasing the location and, in 2005, turned it into a gourmet breakfast spot called Toast Cafe. The business eventually changed its moniker to Famous Toastery and evolved into a franchise system by 2013.

Today, it has 28 restaurants. Twelve of those locations are in the Charlotte market, with the rest sprinkled across South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Colorado.

“At some point it all started to take off and I put all my efforts into this,” Maynard said, adding that additional sites are under development, with New York being the latest.

After a brief delay due to attaining Suffolk County regulations and permits, Maynard says it’s “full steam ahead.” The Long Island location is expected to be in the Mayfair Shopping Center, with lots of parking and outdoor seating.

But don’t expect average, fast-paced breakfast fare. All products — whether they’re omelets, flapjacks, sandwiches, salads and burgers — include fresh and organic ingredients. Its signature banana and peanut butter stuffed French toast is made-from-scratch.

Also, Famous Toastery has a no-fryer/no-heat-lamp policy, especially when it comes to the thick-cut black label bacon.

“You don’t put that in a fryer,” Maynard explained. “We don’t open a can and make corn beef hash. We roast it for four hours.”

Places like this are common in Charlotte, making it an especially competitive market. That’s less so in Long Island, where there’s no shortage of New York-style burger joints and pizzerias.

“There’s not a lot of better breakfast joints,” he said. “They’re slowly going away and no one’s filling the void.”

That could all change come June, which is when New York’s first Famous Toastery is expected to officially open.

“We really like Long Island mainly because we know it,” Maynard said. “It’s super exciting to go back to a place where, 25 years ago, I used to rise my bike in an area where once there were no houses.”

In This Economy, Quitters Are Winning

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:41:00 GMT

Kimberly Enoch had a stable job working from home managing grants for a Little Rock, Ark., nonprofit, but she was bored and thought she could do better.

So she quit.

Within three months, she landed a job as a grant writer at Southern Bancorp Community Partners, snagging a 14% raise, a faster pace at work and an easy seven-minute commute.

“I knew I could do more,” Ms. Enoch said.

She is part of a bigger trend. Workers are choosing to leave their jobs at the fastest rate since the internet boom 17 years ago and getting rewarded for it with bigger paychecks and/or more satisfying work.

Labor Department data show that 3.4 million Americans quit their jobs in April, near a 2001 peak and twice the 1.7 million who were laid off from jobs in April.

Job-hopping is happening across industries including retail, food service and construction, a sign of broad-based labor-market dynamism.

Workers have been made more confident by a strong economy and historically low unemployment, at 3.8% in May, the lowest since 2000. Ms. Enoch started getting interview opportunities the same day she began sending out applications online.

The trend could stoke broader wage growth and improve worker productivity, which have been sluggish in the past decade. Workers tend to get their biggest wage increases when they move from one job to another. Job-switchers saw roughly 30% larger annual pay increases in May than those who stayed put over the past 12 months, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Almost one in seven of the nation’s 6.1 million jobless Americans in May were voluntarily unemployed, having left a previous position to look for another, the highest share of voluntary unemployment in more than 17 years.

For much of the expansion, skittish workers, stung by their experiences during the recession, chose to stick with their employers. Janet Yellen, the former leader of the Federal Reserve, began following measures of quitting closely, seeing the reluctance of workers to leave their jobs as a sign of slack in labor markets. Now job-hopping is a feature of good economic times.

The recent uptick in quitting goes against a long-running decline in worker mobility. In recent decades, as the population aged and business startups became relatively more rare, employees tended to stick at their jobs longer, said Steven Davis, an economist at the University of Chicago who studies labor-market churn. He and co-author John Haltiwanger presented the findings of diminished economic dynamism to central bankers at the Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole, Wyo., symposium in August 2014.

The problem was exacerbated by the 2007-2009 recession. Fretful workers stayed in roles that weren’t good matches for them, also hurting national productivity. Now that they are looking for better matches, productivity could improve.

In the third quarter of 2009, 2.1% of workers changed jobs, according to Census Bureau data. That climbed to roughly 4% by the first quarter of 2017, matching the highest rate since 2001.

“A husband and wife can easily quit their jobs and both find good opportunities in jobs they want, where they want to live,” Mr. Davis said. He says the recent uptick in quitting suggests the economy is running hotter, though it doesn’t necessarily reverse the long-running trends leading to less churn.

Jeremy Divinity, 27, quit his marketing job in Washington, D.C., in August because he wanted to move back to Los Angeles, his hometown.

“I wasn’t too worried about finding a job out here,” he said. “I knew that something would eventually play out.”

Once in Los Angeles, Mr. Divinity relied on freelance gigs while he took his time looking for the right match. In February, he found it with a boutique agency that creates social-media strategies.

The resurgence of job-hopping is particularly helpful for younger workers looking for footholds to launch their careers, said Erika McEntarfer, an economist at the Census Bureau. About 6.5% of workers under age 35 changed jobs in the first quarter of last year, versus 3.1% of those ages 35 to 54, according to census data.

Charlotte Area News: Famous Toastery Expanding Throughout North Carolina

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:40:00 GMT

Franchise Brand Famous Toastery , a made-from-scratch breakfast, brunch, and lunch eatery announced plans to open 5 locations across their home state of North Carolina.

Charlotte Area News Editor Buck Lawrimore ran a press release regarding Famous Toastery’s growth plans and history.

Said Maynard, Famous Toastery CEO, to Charlotte Area News, “We are so focused on providing a superior experience for everyone who comes in contact with our brand. We want our patrons to feel welcome, like they’re part of the family.”

You can view the entire article here .

Entrepreneur Ranks Famous Toastery Among Top Food Franchises of 2019

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:39:00 GMT

Famous Toastery was recently ranked among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 , coming in at No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category.

Recently recognized by CNBC as top franchise to watch , the chain is making a name for itself thanks to quality ingredients and a commitment to excelling in the better-breakfast segment. The brand currently has 23 locations stemming from the Southeast market.

The current initial investment for Famous Toastery ranges from $600,500 to $1,000,000, which includes a $40,000 franchise fee. Learn more about franchising at https://famoustoastery.com/franchise/ .

Entrepreneur Magazine determines the Top Food Franchises of 2019 based on the scores each franchise brand received in its annual Franchise 500 ranking, where brands were evaluated according to five key pillars: financial strength and stability, size and growth, brand strength, support and costs and fees.

See the full rankings here .

Innovative Better-Breakfast Franchise Brand Famous Toastery Continues Growth Through Franchise Development; Eyes Crossing the 40-Unit Mark by Mid-Year

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:38:00 GMT

Last year, leading better-breakfast and lunch concept Famous Toastery experienced unparalleled growth since launching its franchise opportunity in 2013. The 35-unit concept has been expanding its national footprint through successful franchise development strategies–in particular in North and South Carolina–and is continuing to build momentum as it eyes the 40-unit mark by mid-year and 50 by year’s end. With franchisees continuing to invest across the Carolinas and a new location that recently opened in Virginia, Famous Toastery is optimally positioned for continued growth in 2019.

The better-breakfast and lunch franchise stands leaps and bounds ahead of its competitors due to a scratch kitchen, flavorful daily specials and a focus on treating both its customers and employees with respect and admiration.

Dean Kessel and Jason and Michelle Serkin were the brand’s first two franchise partners, having each signed on in North Carolina in 2015. Fast-forward to 2019, and both are multi-unit operators, continuing to open new locations across the brand’s home state. In Virginia last month, husband-and-wife franchisees Diane and Gary Reedy opened the brand’s 35th location in a second-act career move after enjoying success with other entrepreneurial endeavors. Another husband-and-wife duo, Angela and Scott Goodman, also operate out of Virginia, in Ashburn. The duo fell in love with the brand after sampling its crave-worthy breakfast at the Charlotte, North Carolina location.

“Thanks to our breakfast-and-lunch service model, Famous Toastery franchisees enjoy a work-life balance that allows them to create the lifestyle they desire,” said Famous Toastery founder and CEO Robert Maynard. “In addition, our focus on making sure that patrons, staff members and franchisees alike all feel warmly welcomed by the brand at every point of contact sets us apart from the competition. The time is ripe for qualified candidates to sign on and see their career and lifestyle goals align.”

With claims to an unparalleled offering and impressive momentum, it’s no surprise then that Famous Toastery plans to bring an additional five locations to the Charlotte metropolitan area before the end of 2019, growing alongside franchisees in their home market. Subsequent market expansion is planned for Virginia, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.

The press is noticing Famous Toastery’s burgeoning growth. The company started 2019 by landing on Entrepreneur Magazine’s national franchise rankings, the Franchise 500 . Entrepreneur’s list examines trends in the franchising industry and ranks the strongest players. This acknowledgement comes after Famous Toastery placed on Inc.’s 5000 list of fastest growing companies last year. Famous Toastery has also been featured in the Wall Street Journal , FOX Business Television ’s Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Vogue , Entrepreneur Magazine , Forbes and FOX and Friends.

FSR Magazine: Is it Really Possible to Reduce Employee Turnover in a Restaurant?

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:38:00 GMT

Famous Toastery CEO Robert Maynard discussed how Famous Toastery focuses on work-life balance by giving employees two days off in a row. On average, a shift is 7-8 hours, and employees have access to the executive team to talk about business and growth opportunities. Robert also elaborated on how Famous Toastery gives employees the flexibility to move within the system to any location they want e.g. if someone wants to move to Virginia and lives in Charlotte, they will transfer them to keep retain them.

“When customers walk in, staff knows their name, anticipates what they order, and even knows the name of the family’s dog. Breakfast is a personal meal, and it’s shared by the staff,” Maynard says.

Famous Toastery Announces Rankings on Franchise Times Top 200+ Franchises and Inc. 5000 List

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:37:00 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Famous Toastery, a better-breakfast brand based in Charlotte, North Carolina with 34 locations nationwide, is racking up recognition as a lucrative business opportunity and fast growing franchise brand on this year’s Inc. 5000 list and the Franchise Times Top 200+ Franchises. Famous Toastery is no stranger to receiving awards. Since first opening in 2005 and launching franchise opportunities in 2013, the brand has been named Best Breakfast, Best Brunch, Best Soup and more.

These awards build on the company’s momentum, as the leading breakfast and lunch franchise is headed for major expansion in its home state. In addition to recent openings in Matthews, Asheville and Blowing Rock, more restaurants are planned to open over the next year across North Carolina in Denver, Waxhaw, Charlotte Mountain Isle Lake and the Greater Charlotte area.

Famous Toastery’s success has also been noted in major media outlets, including Entrepreneur magazine, Forbes , FOX and Friends, FOX Business Television , Vogue and the Wall Street Journal . The chain was recognized by FSR Magazine as being one of the top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off in 2018 . Famous Toastery was also identified by CNBC as a top franchise to buy.

“This was never meant to be a 30-plus unit chain and growing, but it’s exciting,” Famous Toastery co-founder and CEO Robert Maynard said. “We take it one step at a time. We’re not just selling franchises. We’ve become very picky about who we choose to grow with. We have a system that works, and the better-breakfast market is still untapped. There’s a lot of room here to grow, and we’re pretty excited about that.”

The brand is also expanding throughout the United States. A new Famous Toastery restaurant already opened in Commack, which is located in Long Island in New York, and an agreement has been signed with a franchisee to open a location in Reston, Virginia.

“My business partner and I grew up in Long Island, so it was amazing to bring Famous Toastery there,” Maynard said. “We’re already looking to open more locations in Long Island. We’re also thrilled about the Reston opening and plan to bring Famous Toastery to the Washington, D.C. market. We are going to continue building in and around where we have locations, but we’re also always looking for qualified multi-unit franchise partners to grow with us in untapped markets, as well.”

Famous Toastery is working toward closing out territories in North Carolina.

“For North Carolina, we own the market, and we’re continuing to do so,” Maynard said. “We’ve had a lot of success throughout the Carolinas. It’s always great to grow in your base and own your market, and that’s what we’re doing.”

With this expansion comes the need for more franchisees.

“The perfect Famous Toastery franchisee is someone who is dedicated and passionate and understands hard work,” Maynard said. “Famous Toastery is a full-service restaurant, not a quick-serve restaurant. It takes a lot of skill, energy and finesse to run, and we’re lucky because we have great franchisees in our system.”

For more information about franchising opportunities with Famous Toastery, visit http://ownatoastery.com/ .

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Famous Toastery’s story began in 2005 in Huntersville, N.C. in a small house-turned-restaurant where best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened their first breakfast spot. News of their fresh-made breakfasts and fun atmosphere spread. The concept quickly grew to three locations, serving new and loyal clients dishes such as made-from-scratch banana and peanut butter stuffed French toast and avocado omelets. Never compromising fresh ingredients or friendly service, the demand for Toast kept growing. To satisfy its family of patrons’ pleas for more locations, Toast evolved into a franchise system in 2013.

Dining customers can always expect impeccable service because at Famous Toastery, “every server is your server.” Breaking through the boring casual breakfast segment, Famous Toastery will continue spreading its success to new communities across the United States. For more information about Famous Toastery or to learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.famoustoastery.com.

Famous Toastery’s Fresh Food Turns Customers into Franchisees

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:36:00 GMT

When best friends Robert Maynard and Brian Burchill opened their first Famous Toastery in Huntersville, North Carolina, in 2005, their made-from-scratch breakfasts and lunches helped them stand out from the competition while attracting loyal customers. After the pair launched Famous Toastery ’s franchise system in 2013, the fresh food not only appealed to guests, but also enticed prospective franchisees.

“People like us because we don’t cut any corners,” said Maynard, CEO and founder of Famous Toastery. “Once franchise partners get into our kitchens and see how our food is prepared, they are very impressed. Making everything from scratch is more difficult than serving up frozen food like many of our competitors, but the extra effort is worth it to us because people like it better.”

The brand’s delicious dishes have helped Famous Toastery expand across the country. With franchises open in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Colorado and

Pennsylvania, Famous Toastery is gearing up to bring its unique concept to new states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and New York.

“We are big fans of not compromising, and our franchisees appreciate that,” Maynard said. “From making our own dressing to roasting our own turkeys, the things that we do set us apart and help us grow. Anyone can throw food in a fryer, but we don’t even have a fryer.”

Stacy White started working at one of Famous Toastery’s corporate locations as a waitress in 2013 to supplement her salary as a high school math teacher. She quickly fell in love with the brand’s unique concept and the fresh food that she served. In 2015, she and her husband Chuck decided to become the franchisees of the Mooresville, North Carolina, location.

“There are so many health-conscious people in our area,” White said. “Everything we serve is prepared during the same day, and that makes a difference in the appearance, quality and taste of our food. As a franchisee, I feel proud knowing I am serving our customers wholesome food that is beneficial to them.”

According to Maynard, the fresh, scratch-made food attracts many female franchisees like White to the brand.

“Many of them already eat there,” Maynard said. “They are passionate about the food, which is half the battle when it comes to selling a franchise. It ends up being a great fit for many female entrepreneurs because they like what they are serving to people.”

Maynard said that many of the people who become Famous Toastery franchisees are also customers who decide to bring the restaurant to their local communities.

“People love to own what they already believe in,” Maynard said. “Because many of our franchisees have deep ties to their communities, they are able to create local bonds as their restaurants bring people together.”

White’s favorite part about owning a Famous Toastery is the fun family atmosphere.

“I see a lot of the same people every weekend,” White said. “Everyone knows everyone. Our guests and staff have developed into one big family unit. When people come to our restaurant, they feel like they are coming home.”

For more information about franchising opportunities with Famous Toastery, visit http://ownatoastery.com .

Famous Toastery Gearing Up for Growth in Second Half of 2018, Announces Ranking on Inc. 5000

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:34:00 GMT

Famous Toastery , a better-breakfast brand based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has big plans for the remainder of 2018. Building on momentum gained during the first half of the year and a recent ranking on Inc.’s 5000 fastest growing companies, the franchise is looking forward to increasing its presence in states with existing locations and expanding into new territories.

“Since launching our franchise opportunity five years ago, we have seen tremendous growth with 32 locations currently open,” said Robert Maynard, Famous Toastery CEO and founder. “Franchise partners are eager to work with us because the better-breakfast segment is booming, and they see that our made-from-scratch food and ongoing specialties make us a local favorite in every community we are in. Our hours also allow franchisees the flexibility to spend time with their families in the afternoon, which makes our brand even more attractive.”

With franchises open in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Colorado, New York and Pennsylvania, Famous Toastery is eager to bring its unique concept to new states, including Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Florida. The brand recently opened its first location in the founders’ home state of New York. The Commack Long Island restaurant will opened in August in the same county where Maynard’s father lives.

“My fellow founder Brian Burchill and I grew up down the street from each other on Long Island,” Maynard said. “My dad was a New York City firefighter, and Brian’s father is a retired policeman, so we have deep roots in New York and are thrilled to bring Famous Toastery home. There’s isn’t a gourmet breakfast and brunch restaurant quite like Famous Toastery on Long Island, and we are ready to fill that void.”

In addition to its new restaurant in New York, the company is preparing to open 10 more locations this year and is on pace to have 55 restaurants by the end of 2019. As the brand continues to pick up steam with strong sales and 80 percent year over year growth projected through 2018, it has garnered attention from media outlets around the country. Famous Toastery has been featured in the Wall Street Journal , FOX Business Television ’s Cavuto: Coast to Coast, Vogue , Entrepreneur Magazine , Forbes , and FOX and Friends. It was also recognized as one of the top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off in 2018 and on CNBC as one of the top six franchises to buy.

The positive press has attracted new customers and made loyal fans hungry for more. To satisfy their appetite for Famous Toastery, the company is unveiling a new catering menu and online ordering program so guests can get their favorite breakfast and lunch dishes on the go.

“Our goal is to make the ordering process as quick and convenient as possible for our customers,” said Famous Toastery Chief Operating Officer David Burgess. “People are busier than ever, so our new online ordering service will speed up the process when guests are in a hurry and give them access to our fresh, made-from-scratch menu in a new and exciting way while also increasing location sales as another stream of revenue.”

For more information about franchising opportunities with Famous Toastery, visit http://ownatoastery.com .

Wall Street Journal: Famous Toastery Featured in “In This Economy, Quitters Are Winning”

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:33:00 GMT

The low unemployment rate and strong economy is creating a tight hiring climate for restaurants in the franchise industry, like growing better breakfast brand, Famous Toastery .

Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that 3.4 million Americans quit their jobs in April according to the Labor Department. Robert Maynard, co-founder and CEO of Famous Toastery , has invested in showing promising existing employees a pathway to a career through management or even franchise ownership.

However, the head of the 30-unit-and-expanding chain understands that the strong economy is a sign that consumers have more money to spend.

“The restaurant industry has enjoyed paying people very low salaries for a long time,” Maynard told the Wall Street Journal. “The employees deserve it—they waited 20 years—good for them.”

Famous Toastery, Announces New Vice President of Operations

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:32:00 GMT

FRANCHISE BRAND BRINGS IN EXPERIENCED ENTREPRENEUR AND OPERATIONS MANAGER TO STRENGTHEN CULTURE

May 18, 2023 // Franchising.com // CHARLOTTE, NC – Famous Toastery announced the hiring of Rob Sterioti as its new Vice President of Operations for the brand.

In Sterioti’s new role, he will work to strengthen profitability through menu efficiencies by using best practices in restaurant technology and the latest software. His position will also help push the catering program forward as the brand looks to remodel and reinvigorate additional revenue streams. As the Vice President of Operations, one of Sterioti’s primary goals will be to continue building on the “people first” culture concept for both staff and guests.

“I am so excited to be joining a brand that has set a new standard for franchisees and the employee experience,” said Rob Sterioti, Vice President of Operations for Famous Toastery. “I’ve always enjoyed the social atmosphere of restaurants, both working with the team and experiencing it as a guest, and the Famous Toastery experience is top-notch on both sides of the spectrum.”

Sterioti has been in the franchise space since 2001, starting as a multi-unit franchisee with Quiznos Subs. He then became Quiznos Sub’s Director of Operations for the Chicago Area Developer and later joined the corporate team as a Regional Operations Manager. He has also served as the Director of Operations for the Midwest Area Developer of Hurricane Grill and Wings.

The franchising veteran then moved on to MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes, where he worked directly with team members as the Corporate Training Officer. He would later work directly with franchisees as a Franchise Operations Manager before becoming the Director of New Restaurant Openings for the brand.

“Welcoming Rob to our franchising team has been easy thanks to his extensive experience working with up-and-coming restaurant franchises,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “At Famous Toastery, he is set to build on and expand our ‘people first’ mentality and culture that we have been building since the brand’s inception 18 years ago.”

SOURCE Famous Toastery

Famous Toastery Nabs Spot on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:32:00 GMT

Famous Toastery recently ranked in Entrepreneur magazine’s annual Franchise 500 list for 2019.

Entrepreneur’s list examines trends in the franchising industry and ranks the strongest players. More than 1,000 companies applied to make this year’s ranking, according to the magazine.

Famous Toastery has several available franchise territories throughout the United States. The startup costs for a Famous Toastery franchise range from $601,500 to $1,044,000. The franchise fee is $35,000. To learn more about franchising with Famous Toastery, visit http://www.ownatoastery.com/ .

For a full list of the Franchise 500 rankings, click here .

By streamlining their menus, restaurant operators do more with less

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:31:00 GMT

Restaurateurs improve sales and reduce costs by focusing on what they do best.

Anyone who has worked in menu development for very long is probably familiar with “menu creep,” the tendency of restaurateurs to offer new items based on prevailing trends or gut instinct that don’t really fit with their brand. Experimentation with items such as avocado toast or birria tacos might succeed at getting customers’ attention for a little while, but they can also gum up operations, confuse customers, and keep workers from focusing on the food and beverage that they do best.

Operators are figuring that out, and the lessons of the pandemic have helped them to tighten their menus and to approach development of new items more systematically.

Nico Nieto, chief marketing officer of Naf Naf Grill, a 39-unit fast-casual Middle Eastern chain based in Chicago, said management took the time during that period of adjustment that everyone endured to look at all of their ingredients and menu-development processes and find efficiencies.

“We started looking at our vendors and relationships with them, and we looked at every ingredient and every component [of the menu] to understand what we needed,” he said. They looked at the proprietary spice mixes for their shawarma and steak, the imported pickles and babaganoush, and asked if there were domestic and off-the-shelf items that could provide the same flavor profile with less cost or hassle.

Management at Naf Naf Grill looked at its ingredients and menu-development processes and find efficiencies, challenging the existing status quo and reducing SKUs by 10-15%.

In some cases, the answer was “no.” The pickles and babaganoush are still being imported, but they found new use for those pickles: The leftover pickle juice is now being combined with the chain’s sumac-spiced onions and lemon juice to make the lemon vinaigrette that Naf Naf just introduced.

Nieto said that by challenging the existing status quo, they were able to reduce the number of SKUs being brought into each restaurant by 10-15%.

And in a surprise benefit, the reduction in ingredients and introduction of some other efficiencies allowed them to reduce labor by 15-20 hours per week on average at each restaurant.

Larger chains also have worked hard to streamline their menus. Last August, Chili’s Grill & Bar, the 1,600 casual-dining chain based in Dallas, implemented what director of culinary Brian Paquette called “an aggressive approach to simplification.”

“This included changes to the menu that reduced complexity in the kitchen by eliminating a number of ingredients that were only being used for one dish,” he said in an email. “For example, the Original Chicken Crispers used a different batter than the Crispy Chicken Crisper or any other chicken dish, so we made the decision to remove that menu item.”

Chili’s now also uses the same spec for chicken breast for its fajitas, Chicken Crispers, and Cajun Chicken Pasta.

Paquette kept that mindset for the bar menu that Chili’s launched in September 2022 with 18 new food items but just one new SKU.

He said they also keep labor in mind and simplified procedures.

“Our prep cooks would spend time every morning counting out shrimp and portioning them into bags for orders later in the day,” he said. “It was a time-consuming task … and didn’t really make an impact on the guest, so we got rid of that procedure.”

CKE Restaurants, parent company of quick-service chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, which have 3,800 units between them, has also been simplifying its menus to optimize operations, according to senior vice president of innovation Regina Schneider.

“ There are many benefits to having menus that are simpler for restaurants, such as speeding up service and ordering and providing a more consistent experience for guests,” she said in an email. “As we have worked on our menu evolution project, the guest is at the center of all our choices. Simplifying the menu provides a more consistent, easy experience for guests and our focus on core items and everyday value gives guests more of their favorite items.”

That includes adding new items within an existing category to provide customers with new options without adding operational complexity, such as Carl’s Jr.’s new Hand-Breaded Jalapeño Chicken Sandwich, which is a spicier version of an existing sandwich, or Hardee’s BLT Hand-Breaded Chicken Sandwich, which adds bacon, lettuce, and tomato to an existing item.

“The menu is a powerful tool in gaining efficiencies operationally, and by streamlining it, we hope to speed up preparation time, be more efficient with ingredients, and improve the ordering experience for the customer.”

BJ’s Restaurants also is shrinking its menu, said Greg Levin, CEO of the 220-unit casual-dining chain, in the company’s most recent earnings call. The new menu slated for a July launch will have around 10% fewer items and 20 fewer SKUs, which Levin said would allow the company to improve execution while reducing inventory and labor.

Independent restaurants, such as Il Mulino in New York City, have learned how to do more with less, too.

“We streamlined our menu [and are] cross-utilizing product lines,” chef Michele Mazza said, finding multiple uses for seasonal products such as white asparagus, figs, zucchini flowers, and mushrooms. “This not only enhanced the flavors of the dishes but also supported farmers and promoted sustainable dining practices.”

The same holds true for seafood. “Our soft-shell crab, a seasonal delicacy [in late spring and early summer], was utilized in various dishes such as soft-shell crab risotto and other pasta dishes, offering guests different options while utilizing the ingredient to its full potential,” he said.

Cross-utilization has long been the rule in much of Europe, where seasonality has always been at the center of what people eat. Christophe Poteaux, chef and owner with his wife Michelle of Bastille in Alexandria, Va., told Nation’s Restaurant News in 2021 that in his native France, produce such as artichokes or asparagus were used across the menu when they were in season.

The pandemic pushed him to return to that approach rather than dreaming up a different vegetable for each entrée.

“In conversations I’ve had with other chefs, we’re probably trying to do too many things at once [in the kitchen],” he said at the time, and predicted — accurately, it turns out — that simpler menus were going to be the norm.

“That’s probably where we’re going to stay: A more compact menu that is easier to manage with a smaller staff,” he said.

Although making menus more efficient has become more of a priority in recent years, it’s no newer than menu creep, and it’s something that Mike Sebazco has been working on for years.

Currently president of Famous Toastery, a 28-unit breakfast-and-brunch concept based in Davidson, N.C., he was previously president of Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes, based in Plano, Texas. He said he had a physical confrontation with a franchisee when he insisted on removing the fried chicken sandwich from the menu.

“I had a franchisee physically grab me when I made the decision at Mooyah to take chicken off the menu,” he said

Famous Toastery runs all-scratch kitchens, meaning executives have to factor in what it costs beyond ingredients to prepare an item.

But Mooyah is known for its burgers. Sebazco said the chicken sandwich was perfectly fine, but data indicated that if first-time customers ordered a burger, they were seven times more likely to return than if they got a chicken sandwich. And once the chicken was gone from Mooyah’s menu, sales improved and so did menu operations, he said.

Now he’s working on streamlining the menu at Famous Toastery, which runs all-scratch kitchens.

“That sounds great, but it’s kind of difficult,” he said.

And it changes the math, because he has to factor in what it costs beyond ingredients to prepare an item.

“Historically, anything that was below 2% of your product mix you would kill. We’re going to be raising that bar a little bit on this next iteration [of our menu],” he said, adding that items that make up as much as 4% of menu mix might get cut because they’re no longer cost-effective.

“That’s simply because I’ve got to do more with fewer folks,” he said.

The key to streamlining well is using data, he added.

“Menu contractions that are rooted in opinion are probably going to fail,” he said. So he’s looking at the items at Famous Toastery that really resonate with his guests. Those include flapjacks, corned beef hash, build-your-own omelets, waffles, roast turkey, and Reuben sandwiches.

“There are items on the menu that are kind of just like everybody else has. … We’re going to have to do the stuff that we’re best in the world at and stop being a hobbyist at some of the other things,” he said. “We’re going to be a lot less experimental and really get down to just focusing on the core products of Famous Toastery.”

Restaurants Lean into Tech

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:28:00 GMT

From AI to robots there’s lots of tech to talk about. Burger King prepares to close hundreds of locations while Portillo’s may be poised for takeoff. Economic news includes many labor updates plus small businesses share their perspective. These stories and more This Week in Foodservice.

Lots of tech talk dominating the foodservice industry of late.

In November of 2020 Spyce debuted what the company calls its Infinite Kitchen, which automates the meal cooking and assembly process.For example. sweetgreen is about to open its first Infinite Kitchen, which will automate key aspects of meal production. The Naperville, Ill., location will use the technology Sweetgreen acquired through its purchase of Spyce back in 2021. Spyce first rolled out its automated kitchen in 2020 in Massachusetts . At that time the technology automated meal assembly. Spyce still had members of its culinary team prep meal ingredients. Since the deal, sweetgreen has spent some time adapting the Spyce technology so it works with its menu. This represents the latest digital development for sweetgreen. Last year the salad-centric fast-casual chain opened its first “sweetlane” concept. The Schaumburg, Ill, pilot restaurant sought to push digital ordering to the forefront with a drive-thru lane designed to increase convenience for digital customers.

In addition, a robot is tossing grab-and-go salads for a Michigan-based healthcare foodservice operator . Corewell Health is in the midst of a 12-week pilot program that involves using one robot attached to a salad refrigeration unit and programmed with six different salad recipes, per a Food Management report . The unit grabs a container, assembles the salad and then drops it into a chute that can hold 10 salads. The robot’s assistant places lids on the salad and labels them. This is not Corewell Health’s first foray into automation or robotics. The operator uses TUGS to tote trays from the kitchen to patient rooms, self-checkout technology and recently it began using autonomous floor scrubbers.

Multiconcept operator CKE Restaurants is testing artificial intelligence in some of its drive thrus , per a company release. Upon arriving at the drive thru, guests place their orders thru a digital interaction with “Tori,” the name given to the AI interface, and then pay the CKE associate for their meal at the pickup window. The parent company of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. reports using this AI technology has already “positively impacted drive thru times thru improved order accuracy and better customer interaction.” The company also reports using AI in this way allows “Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s associates to focus more on providing better customer service and preparing timely and freshly made orders.”

Add Wendy’s to the list of companies testing AI-powered drive thru technology. The fast-food chain will begin working with Google’s AI technology at a company-owned restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, starting in June. In a release announcing the test project, Wendy’s said 75% to 80% of its customers place their orders via its drive thrus. Known as Wendy’s Fresh AI, the program will be able to have conversations with customers. It will also have the ability to understand made-to-order requests and generate responses to frequently asked questions. Google’s large language modules will power these features. The LLMs have the data from Wendy’s menu, established business rules and logic for conversation guardrails, and integration with restaurant hardware and the point-of-sale system. By leveraging generative AI, Wendy’s seeks to take the complexity out of the ordering process so employees can focus on serving fast, fresh-made, food.

Finally, while delivery robots seem inevitable, implementation will be pretty complicated, per a report by The Food Institute . A total of 23 states have laws on the books on how delivery robots can transport food within their jurisdictions. It should come as a surprise to no one that the laws can vary greatly from one state to another. This state-by-state approach will slow the adoption of this technology.

All in all, plenty of operators continue to test robotics but widespread implementation seemingly remains elusive.

Famous Toastery entering Northeast Florida, plans five locations

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:27:00 GMT

North Carolina-based Famous Toastery announced May 2 it signed a franchise development agreement to bring five restaurants to Northeast Florida over the next four years.

It is a return to the area for the chain, which serves breakfast and lunch and offers specialty coffees and alcohol. It opened a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach in 2015. That restaurant is no longer operating.

The company said in a news release the first restaurant will open by year-end. It said in an email the locations have not been selected.

Famous Toastery said the Northeast Florida franchisees are Divyan Patel, Jeffrey Folckemer and Drew Van Zante.

Patel operates Planet Smoothie and Coldstone Creamery franchises in St. Johns County.

Patel said in a news release he has been involved in food-service operations for years.

He said Famous Toastery is a “breakfast and brunch restaurant model that offers incredible food and beverages, unrivaled customer service and a memorable guest experience to all ages and taste preferences.”

Folckemer has been a residential and commercial contractor for the past 10 years, as well as a Realtor.

Van Zante is co-owner of Kingdom Home Builders and the owner and operator of McDonald’s franchises in the St. Augustine area.

“Franchisees like Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew have joined Famous Toastery because of the continued popularity of brunch amongst consumers and the brand’s healthy profit margins and strong unit economics due to a single shift business concept,” Famous Toastery President Mike Sebazco said in the release.

The chain enters a market with many players in the breakfast-lunch arena.

They include First Watch, Grumpy’s, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Orange Blossoms, Canopy Road Cafe and Keke’s Breakfast Cafe. Toledo,Ohio-based Scramblers announced it was entering Northeast Florida in June.

Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard founded Famous Toastery in 2005 in Huntersville, North Carolina. It began franchising in 2013.

Famous Toastery has locations in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Most locations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The chain said it plans to have 26 locations operating by the end of 2023, growing to 31 in 2024.

Menu items include omelets, pancakes, waffles and French toast along with sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads.

At the Huntersville Famous Toastery, classic flapjacks are $15, omelets start at $13 and a half-pound burger is $13. Kids meals are $9.

It also offers specialty coffees and alcohol including mimosas, Bellinis and Irish coffees.

Famous Toastery Vice President of Operations Believes in Franchise Business Model, Transitions from Corporate Role to Become Newest Franchise Owner

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:25:00 GMT

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Famous Toastery, a 25+ unit better brunch franchise brand known for its “Famously Fresh” and simple-scratch menu, has announced that Joe Gillie, previously the Vice President of Operations for Famous Toastery since February 2022, has made the transition from corporate employee to franchise owner of the new Boone, NC restaurant. Gillie came to the decision to open his own franchise – located at 627 W. King St. – after falling in love with the brand, its mission, and its menu during his time overseeing the chain’s operations across the franchise system.

Gillie has over 30 years of restaurant experience, from working at restaurants while studying accounting at North Carolina State University, to working in private and public restaurant companies serving in various roles from accounting to multi-unit management to franchise ownership in multiple states across the U.S. He took the next step in his career and opened his own Famous Toastery with his wife, Lisa, a local preschool teacher for over 20 years, who will continue to teach preschool at Blowing Rock Elementary starting in the fall.

“Transitioning from my corporate role to becoming a Famous Toastery franchise owner has been an incredible journey,” said Joe Gillie, owner of Famous Toastery in Boone. “It all stemmed from wanting to marry my love and experience for the restaurant business with my affection for the High Country and to share a place everyone in our community can feel at home. Plus, with my unique perspective and insight from my experience leading operations for the system, I know first-hand what to takes to run this franchise restaurant as a profitable business, while experiencing an enjoyable lifestyle along the way.”

Its “Famously Fresh” menu features a bevy of brunch favorites including omelets, pancakes, waffles, stuffed French toast, benedicts, plus an array of sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads. Famous Toastery offers nitrate free oven-roasted turkeys, and breakfast potatoes that are prepared fresh each morning. In addition to its mouth-watering breakfast and lunch fare, Famous Toastery also boasts a beverage line of specialty coffees and alcoholic brunch cocktails, including mimosas made with their Famous fresh-squeezed orange juice, Ultimate Bloody Marys, thirst-quenching bellinis and spiked Irish Coffees. As a perfect destination for anyone who appreciates delicious, home-style cooking, the restaurant’s menu consists of inclusive recipes expertly crafted with the freshest ingredients, such as 100% grade A pure maple syrup.

Today, Famous Toastery operates in three different states, has six locations in development, and projects to have 26 locations operating by the end of 2023, as well as aggressive growth plans including a four-store deal in Northeast Florida. The brand aims to bring brunch, enjoyable hospitality, and community under one roof to other markets in the country with the help new and existing franchise owners.

For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com . To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY
Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to “Be Famous” in their local community by offering “Famously Fresh” meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where “every server is your server.” The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to over 25 locations today. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business’ The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019 and 2022. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing companies and Franchise Times’ Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com . To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

FAMOUS TOASTERY PRESIDENT TO SPEAK AT INAUGURAL NEXTGEN RESTAURANT SUMMIT ON SEPT. 6

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:21:00 GMT

Mike Sebazco Joins Expert Panel on “Menu Lessons from Fast Casual” to Discuss Menu Lessons, Share Operational Insights and Key Findings at Leading U.S. Brunch Franchise

August 21, 2023 // Franchising.com // CHARLOTTE, NC – Famous Toastery announce President Mike Sebazco will attend and be a panelist at the NextGen Restaurant Summit. Presented byFSR Magazine, this inaugural event is aimed to elevate and connect the community of operators defining the future of full-service restaurants.

Next Gen Restaurant Summit takes place on Sept. 6-7 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead. Sebazco will join a panel on Sept. 6 titled, “Menu Lessons from Fast Casual,” focusing on how fast casual has been on the cutting edge of menu innovation in terms of both cuisine and execution over the past decade, but now NextGen Casual is following suit.

Famous Toastery has spent time looking granularly at all operational aspects of this business and made decisions to improve upon the franchise model. This resulted in gaining a competitive edge in brunch cuisine and execution, and a profitable business with increased value for franchisees, employees and guests.

“I’m excited to join my fellow panelists to discuss the current restaurant landscape and share key menu learnings and lessons to help benefit NextGen and emerging full-service restaurant brands,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “I’m looking forward to sharing great insight on the panel topic having developed and instituted new operational efficiencies driving system-wide sales and helping grow the franchise system, reengineered the menu and prices to improve unit level economics, and launched a ‘Famously Fresh’ campaign at the restaurant level and across marketing channels to leverage our fresh, simple-scratch menu.”

Sebazco has been Famous Toastery’s President since October 2022. With 30 years of experience in the franchising and restaurant industry, Sebazco has also been involved in the operations and growth of various brands, including Don Pablo’s, Boston Pizza and Texas Land & Cattle. Most recently, he served as the Executive Vice President of Operations and Development at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries and Shakes. Over his impressive career, Sebazco has been directly involved in opening 350 restaurant locations across the country and has played a key role in leading innovative prototype and menu engineering programs.

Famous Toastery believes food should be both decadent and nutritious, uncompromisingly fresh, and served to order quickly with service that is just as satisfying as the menu. With an emphasis on perfecting classic breakfast items while simultaneously injecting craveable twists to their food and cocktail menus, Famous Toastery prides itself in serving a fresh, simple-scratch made breakfast and brunch menu in a welcoming atmosphere.

Better Brunch Franchise, Famous Toastery, Coming to Northeast Florida

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:28:41 GMT

Local Entrepreneur Signs Agreement to Bring Five New Famous Toastery Restaurants Over the Next Four Years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., May 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Famous Toastery, a 25-unit better brunch franchise brand known for its “Famously Fresh” menu, announced it has signed a franchise development agreement with local entrepreneurs, Divyan Patel, Jeffrey Folckemer, and Drew Van Zante. Details of the agreement include opening five Famous Toastery units in Northeast Florida over the next four years. The first Famous Toastery restaurant will open by the end of 2023.

The latest Famous Toastery investors are active members in the Northeast Florida business community with a number of different enterprises. Divyan Patel is a serial entrepreneur who owns and operates a Planet Smoothie in St. Johns and two Coldstone Creamery units near Murabella and St. Johns. Jeffrey Folckemer has been a residential and commercial contractor for the past 10 years, as well as a realter with development and local community knowledge. Drew Van Zante is co-owner of Kingdom Home Builders, as well as an owner and operator of McDonald’s franchises in the St. Augustine area.

“We are thrilled to start our journey with Famous Toastery by bringing this hugely successful brunch concept to Northeast Florida,” said Divyan Patel, owner of Famous Toastery in Northeast Florida. “I’ve been involved in foodservice operations for many years, and this is an exciting breakfast and brunch restaurant model that offers incredible food and beverages, unrivaled customer service and a memorable guest experience to all ages and taste preferences.”

Its “Famously Fresh” menu features a bevy of brunch favorites like omelets, pancakes, waffles, French Toast, benedicts, plus an array of sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads. In addition to its mouth-watering breakfast and lunch fare, Famous Toastery also boasts a beverage line of specialty coffees and alcoholic brunch cocktails, like mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, bellinis and Irish Coffees. As a perfect destination for anyone who appreciates delicious, home-style cooking, the restaurant’s menu consists of inclusive recipes expertly crafted with the freshest ingredients, such as 100% grade A pure maple syrup and freshly-squeezed orange juice. It also touts in-home cooking with in-house oven-roasted turkeys.

“We welcome Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew to our franchise family and look forward to them building the brand in Northeast Florida, and becoming a mainstay in the community for years to come,” said Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “Franchisees like Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew have joined Famous Toastery because of the continued popularity of brunch amongst consumers and the brand’s healthy profit margins and strong unit economics due to a single shift business concept.”

Today, Famous Toastery operates in three different states, has six locations in development, projects to have 26 locations operating by the end of 2023, as well open five additional locations in 2024. The brand aims to bring brunch, enjoyable hospitality, and community under one roof to other markets in the country with the help of new and existing franchise owners. With an emphasis on perfecting classic breakfast and lunch items and injecting fun in beverages, Famous Toastery not only owns brunch, it makes it famous.

For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com . To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com.

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to “Be Famous” in their local community by offering “Famously Fresh” meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where “every server is your server.” The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to over 25 locations today. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business’ The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019 and 2022. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing companies and Franchise Times’ Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com . To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com.

Famous Toastery experiences brand resurgence with streamlined operations and new executive leadership in place

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 04:20:31 GMT

Famous Toastery, a 25-unit better brunch franchise brand known for its “Famously Fresh” menu, is experiencing a brand resurgence after streamlining operations to meet post-pandemic demand for big brunches and adding new executive leadership to fuel the brand’s franchise growth mission.

Over the last few years, Famous Toastery developed and instituted new operational efficiencies in an effort to drive system-wide sales and help grow the franchise system, including standardizing operating procedures across all locations, reengineering the restaurant’s menu and prices to improve unit level economics, and launching a “Famously Fresh” campaign at the restaurant level and across marketing channels to leverage its fresh, made-from-scratch menu. Famous Toastery also grew its executive leadership team by adding franchise and restaurant industry veterans Mike Sebazco as President and Eric Gustafsson as Vice President of Franchise Development to lead business growth strategy and operations and drive franchise expansion.

These enhancements made to Famous Toastery are now paying dividends. In 2022, the brand saw its top 50 percent of franchise locations report an Average Unit Volume (AUV) of $1,770,835.

“The time this organization spent looking granularly at all operational aspects of this business and the decisions made to improve upon the franchise model has given the brand a competitive edge as a profitable brunch business with increased value for our franchisees, employees and guests,” says Mike Sebazco, President of Famous Toastery. “Now, the results are attracting new and existing franchisees to the system who see the opportunity to capture the demand for society’s ongoing love of the brunch daypart.”

In fact, due to the brand’s calculated investments, corporate vision and additional resources, entrepreneurs Divyan Patel, Jeffrey Folckemer, and Drew Van Zante were attracted to the brand and signed a five-unit franchise agreement to open new Famous Toastery locations in Jacksonville, FL. Added evidence to the brand’s strategic changes and growing unit volume sales is Famous Toastery’s former Vice President of Operations, Joe Gillie, who is leaving his corporate role to run and operate the location in Blowing Rock, NC as a franchise owner.

“While the impressive AUVs are helping drive the brand resurgence, one of the biggest draws to investing in a Famous Toastery is its single shift business concept, where owners and staff members are able to achieve work life balance with an eight-hour shift instead of working 14 hours a day,” says Eric Gustafsson, Vice President of Franchise Development at Famous Toastery. “In today’s competitive market, our franchisees can enjoy the concept’s healthy profit margins and strong unit economics in a compact space thanks to low food costs traditionally associated with breakfast, as well as lower labor and overhead costs due to morning to afternoon working hours.”

Founded in 2005 in Huntersville, NC, best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened a breakfast restaurant in a small house where fresh ingredients and comfortable atmosphere were center stage. In 2013, the restaurant brand evolved into a franchise still focused on fresh, high-quality ingredients and with a special focus on attentive service. Today, Famous Toastery has more than 25 locations and aims to bring brunch, enjoyable hospitality, and community under one roof to other markets in the country with the help new and existing franchise owners. With an emphasis on perfecting classic breakfast and lunch items and injecting fun in beverages, Famous Toastery not only owns brunch, it makes it famous.

New franchisees go through an initial eight-week training program at Famous Toastery headquarters, with four weeks of training specifically dedicated to restaurant operations, from a culinary, bartending and service standpoint. Franchisees also go through a rigorous culinary training curriculum developed by Famous Toastery’s experienced culinary team to help them become confident in their franchise to serve up a fresh, made-from-scratch menu daily. Additional resources include operations support, new store opening training of staff members, local marketing initiatives, P&L review and coaching on best practices and benchmarking and ongoing trainings focused on franchise business success.

The cost to open a Famous Toastery, costs range from$588,000 – $1,011,500. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

FSR Magazine: Famous Toastery Forges Own Path in COVID Comeback

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:07:00 GMT

Famous Toastery Chief Executive Officer Robert Maynard spoke to FSR Magazine about how the brand pivoted during the COVID-19 crisis to forge their own path by switching to QR codes, contactless payment, online ordering and limited menu items. Maynard also shared how he was able to turn his brand around after experiencing difficulties in 2019.

“You just had to face the facts of where things were,” Maynard said. “Casual-dining, family-dining got smashed. You really had to do what you thought was best for your brand. There were so many people with so many ideas. The word pivot became the new ‘thank you.’ You had to do what you knew was best for what you could execute. And if you just follow the leader, that really wasn’t working. Everyone does have a little something different.”

Famous Toastery , the better breakfast brand with 26 locations, had to make changes quickly to keep up with the turnaround of cities reopening. It switched to online ordering chainwide in just four days.

“We knew online ordering was going to be big,” Maynard told FSR Magazine. “We were already in the middle of different programs to do online ordering anyway, and it was kind of like well, we picked one, and we had to roll with it. Our POS system was great, the group that did it for us was great, and our team was great. They just worked day and night.”

Restaurants have since reopened at limited capacity, with an emphasis on lunch due to more people changing their morning routine and not coming in for breakfast as often anymore.

Read the full story online here.

Famous Toastery Enters 2022 On Pace To Double Units To 50 by 2024 - Famous Toastery Franchise Opportunities | Best Breakfast Franchise

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:05:00 GMT

As 2022 gets into swing, Famous Toastery , the 25-plus unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, is well on its way to reaching its goal of 50 units by 2024. The brand’s CEO and founder Robert Maynard , says the brand is on track to close 10–12 new franchise deals in 2022. Five to seven of those deals will be in North Carolina, and the rest in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida.

Key to that growth, says Maynard, is Famous Toastery’s commitment to its famous food and service.

“We've stayed true to our mission, guaranteeing that our food is fresh and made in-house every single day,” said Maynard. “We don't just use the word ‘fresh’ and have frozen tomato soup come in, or have nitrate-filled turkey come in. We roast our own turkey. We make our own soup. We make our own salad dressings. We make every omelet in a pan. We get top-of-the-line items. We don't cut corners on food. That's the big differentiator between us and our competitors.” The franchise’s transparency with prospective investors is another critical factor in it’s growth, Maynard says. Interested franchisees are invited to observe the ins and outs of the operations at any store or the corporate headquarters.

Famous Toastery Keeps Its Promises

“We put our money where our mouth is, meaning we don't say one thing and then do another,” Maynard said. “We actually do what we say we're going to do, and that's what we've always been known for.” Maynard notes that this year’s addition of Michael Mabry to the team as president has bolstered franchisee support as the brand continues to grow. The franchise is also bolstering its franchise support by dedicating a team a member who will be working directly with franchisees directly as they open and grow. “This role will be dedicated strictly to the franchisees, both existing and new ones that are opening,” said Maynard. “They'll have much more dedicated, goal-oriented and driven support.”

Mabry says the brand’s plans to expand throughout the Carolinas will ensure that new franchisees receive their famous support as they launch. “The Carolinas and a few adjoining states will have that base of consumers that recognize the brand. After all, we are famous in North Carolina. And one of the things that we feel is important is to become famous in our current markets before we start to expand into new ones,” Mabry said. “Quite frankly, the amount of guests that come in from other towns and express interest in opening the franchise in their home markets is exciting. We're really just listening to what our fans are telling us, looking at the demand and making the strategic decisions along the way.”

As the brand continues to expand throughout North Carolina and the southeast region, Maynard says maintaining quality in both restaurant offerings and franchisee support comes down to executing on the existing model. “It’s all about execution,” said Maynard. “We have the choice to muddle our system down with subpar service and food and make a little more money, but then we wouldn't be able to call ourselves the ‘better breakfast’ franchise. Anything can be systematized; franchising is all about making things easier and faster in different aspects. The concept Famous Toastery chose was not to change how we source our food and how we prepare that fresh, made-to-order style that is so loved. That’s staying in our core model. It’s what makes us who we are; it's not, it's not rocket science. It's just execution.”

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY:

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Famous Toastery began in 2005 in a small house-turned-restaurant where best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened their first breakfast spot. Never compromising fresh ingredients or friendly service, Famous Toastery evolved into a franchise system in 2013 and now has over 25 locations. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business' The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing companies and Franchise Times' Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit https://www.famoustoastery.com .

Famous Toastery's Corporate Team Celebrates New Hires As Franchisees Make Famous Toastery Famous in Their Communities

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:04:00 GMT

Famous Toastery , the 25-plus unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, is on the cusp of major franchise growth, embarking on an ambitious plan to reach 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024. As part of this strategy, Famous Toastery has announced the addition of several new members to its executive team through both internal promotions and external hires. These qualified leaders will work together to further prioritize a business model and support infrastructure that encourages franchisees to “ Be Famous .”

Michael Mabry , who joined Famous Toastery’s executive team as President in November 2021, brings a personal and professional mantra of: “People. Food. Life.” Mabry has spent 30 years in the food and beverage industry, working in roles from line cook to Chief Operating Officer to President. Over the past two decades, Mabry has gathered in-depth experience in the franchising world specifically, working as President and Chief Operating Officer of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, Executive Chef and Director of Franchise Operations at Macaroni Grill and Chief Development Officer of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop.

In his new role with Famous Toastery, Mabry says he is eager to bolster an already-strong brand and help usher in a new era of growth for the concept. “My primary goal is to make sure I don’t mess up a good thing — we are a strong brand with a great reputation , and I don't want to hinder that,” Mabry said. “We are focused on three major strategies for the year: build sales at the unit level through marketing efforts and upgraded operational support, put the right people in place on the leadership team, and build possibilities at the restaurant level for franchisees. We are doing all of that through the lens of “Be Famous” — that is our calling card. We want to recognize the famous people that are already on our team, and give them the titles and responsibilities that they’ve earned over the years.”

Meet The Newest Members Of The Famous Toastery Franchise Team

In addition to Mabry, the Famous Toastery team is celebrating several other promotions, including Lorna Martinez , who will be taking over as the brand’s Director of Marketing. Prior to Famous Toastery, Martinez worked in the sports marketing industry, including a role as the Trade Marketing Manager for international sporting goods company Reebok.

Steve Henning , who started with the Famous Toastery brand in 2015 as a General Manager, was also recently promoted to Area Director. Prior to his role with Famous Toastery, Henning gathered in-depth experience in the restaurant industry as a General Manager with legacy full-service chain T.G.I. Fridays.
Steven Augustine , who has been promoted to the role of Training General Manager, started with Famous Toastery in 2020 as a General Manager. In the past, Augustine held the role of CEO at consulting firm The Augustine Group, served as a Culinary Manager at The Hickory Tavern and as a General Manager at Chili’s.
Jude Colangelo is a new hire joining the Famous Toastery team as the brand’s CFO. Previously, Colangelo served as the President and Founder of Eat the Bear, a pioneering Charlotte-based, sports nutrition and lifestyle company. Colangelo also served as a Managing Director with Wells Fargo and as an Executive Director with UBS.

“This is a people business, and we need to have the highest level of people in place to execute our goal,” said CEO and Founder Robert Maynard . “We’ve gone all-in on people and process so we can get franchisees the support, help and direction they need as the brand is starting to grow rapidly. We know what we’ve done right and what we’ve done wrong in the past and putting the right team in place will help us expand. We are clearly on track to double in size, but it takes a lot of work and time to open those stores. Having the right people in place to support franchisees every step of the way is so important for our business moving forward.”

From on-boarding to grand opening, Maynard says Famous Toastery provides franchisees with the support and training needed to establish a successful business in their local community. In addition to support, the Famous Toastery consumer offering provides the blueprint that allows franchisees to run a beloved neighborhood establishment, not just another local business. This includes both the fresh, made-to-order menu and the longstanding motto of “ every server is your server ,” which encourages next-level customer service at all locations.

What's Next?

Looking ahead, Maynard says the brand is on track to close 10–12 new franchise deals in 2022. Five to seven of those deals will be in North Carolina, and the rest in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida. “I want to continue to drive the winning culture of this brand that Robert and I feel so strongly about,” said Mabry. “And quite frankly, we want the brand to grow to be ‘famous,’ hence the name Famous Toastery. At the end of the day, our franchisees make Famous Toastery famous, not vice versa. Without our franchisees, we don’t have a brand. This is a locally owned and operated business. The idea that the franchisees are already famous in their markets — famous with their guests, famous with their team members — that puts the famous in Famous Toastery. That is why we will continue to build out our executive team and ensure franchisees have all the support they need to serve their communities.”

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery began in 2005 in a small house-turned-restaurant where best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened their first breakfast spot. Never compromising fresh ingredients or friendly service, Famous Toastery evolved into a franchise system in 2013 and now has over 25 locations. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business' The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing companies and Franchise Times' Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com

Famous Toastery's Flagship Location Reopens with a New Look

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:03:00 GMT

In 2005, childhood friends Robert Maynard and Brian Burchill were tired of the usual greasy-spoon breakfast restaurants, where most of the food was frozen or processed and the customer service was subpar. So, the duo devised a solution — a gourmet breakfast and brunch brand that would serve “ famously fresh ” food made daily and ensure all guests felt like “ every server is your server .” After opening in Huntersville, North Carolina, and ultimately moving to a larger storefront in nearby Davidson, the Famous Toastery brand was born.

Today, Famous Toastery is a 26-unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise with locations all over the Southeast. Over the past year, Famous Toastery has been emphasizing a new mantra of “ be famous ,” perfecting a business model that encourages franchisees to quickly become locally famous as pillars of their communities, providing not only uncompromisingly fresh and decadent meals, but a hub for friends, families and neighbors to come together.

As part of this strategy, the Famous Toastery team recently decided to revamp and refresh the flagship location in Davidson. “Coming out of the pandemic, we were really looking for a new identity,” said Burchill, Co-founder and Chief Culture Officer of Famous Toastery. “The Davidson store specifically is nearly 15 years old, and the building itself is over 100 years old, so we thought it’d be a great place to start. It is also one of our busiest locations, so we wanted to really double down on that ‘be famous’ model.”

Burchill says most of the upgrades were cosmetic, including new paint colors, a more modern and “farm-chic” look and a brighter, more vibrant layout to promote daytime traffic. “We wanted to update the colors, look and feel of the restaurant, but also wanted to stay true to the atmosphere that has allowed us to become so important to the community over the years,” said Lorna Martinez , Famous Toastery’s Director of Marketing. “For example, we added new colors, but also exposed a beautiful brick wall that showcases the history of the building and the community at large.”

The New, Revamped Menu Focuses On The Local Customer

Similarly, Martinez says the Famous Toastery team wanted to revamp the menu, while also sticking to the classics that customers already love. “Customers can expect the same level of quality, ‘famously fresh’ food, but with new and exciting additions to the menu,” she said. For example, Martinez says the Davidson menu will now include a Protein Power Bowl for those looking for a healthier option, and will also bring back an old staple in the Shrimp and Grits. The location is also partnering with local vendor Abby’s Better Nut Butter for a new nut butter toast option.

“We want to show the community that we are listening to their needs, and we love hearing their feedback,” said Martinez. “These new menu items are a product of the feedback that we’ve heard and options that may have been missing before. We really want to tailor our menu to our guests.” All of these new upgrades, Martinez says, are about spearheading the message of “be famous” across every aspect of the Famous Toastery experience. “It is not just about making the brand famous, it is about making everyone in the restaurant feel famous as well, including the staff, the customers and the franchisees,” she said. “We want to pay homage to the Davidson community and show people that we are always there for them.”

Overall, Burchill says the new-and-improved Davidson location — which reopened to the public in July — is a huge milestone for the Famous Toastery brand and will set the standard for all new locations moving forward. “As the flagship location, this is a really meaningful moment for the refresh of the brand,” said Burchill. “It has been an incredible journey in Davidson over the past 15 years, but we knew it was time to bring a new vibe and build off of the amazing foundation we have in the community. We’ve learned a lot over the past two years of the pandemic, and we are ready to usher in a new era of Famous Toastery with that ‘be famous’ model behind it.”

Ready To Own Your Own Famous Toastery Franchise?

The cost to open a Famous Toastery franchise ranges from $575,500 to $999,500, including a franchise fee starting at $45,000. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

"Be Famous": Famous Toastery’s New President Michael Mabry's Message to Franchisees

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:01:00 GMT

Famous Toastery , the 25-plus-unit North Carolina based franchise, has made a name for itself by offering the freshest breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings in its segment. The brand’s franchisees, growing throughout neighborhoods in North Carolina since opening in 2005 and franchising in 2013, have become locally famous as pillars in their communities, providing not only uncompromisingly fresh and decadent meals, but a hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together.

Now, the brand is looking to leverage that strong positioning in its home state to expand into neighboring markets across the Carolinas. Michael Mabry , who joined Famous Toastery’s executive team as president in November 2021, will play an instrumental role in the franchise’s plans to reach 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024, with the bulk of that development planned for the Carolinas.

High Numbers Aren't Everything to Michael Mabry

“Rather than looking at goals from a numeric standpoint, I like to attract and retain the right team members and the right franchisees,” said Mabry. “I'm a firm believer that we've got a handful of potential franchisees who eat in our dining rooms everyday — they just don't know it yet. They love the brand and they are business people, but they aren’t aware of the opportunity. So the goal is to communicate to everyone who comes in that there is an opportunity to grow with us, and we really want to be famous for having the best franchisees out in the marketplace.”

Mabry says the brand “stands above and beyond any other franchise in the brunch and breakfast segment,” and as Famous Toastery continues to expand, its mission is to “continue to attract like-minded people” and help talented new franchisees become famous in their own communities.

Mabry, who says his personal and professional mantra is “People. Food. Life.”, has a love for the restaurant industry that runs deep. He has been in the industry for 30 years. He has held positions in several different roles in the food and beverage world — from line cook to Chief Operating Officer to President — and considers himself fortunate to have learned something in each one. Over the last two decades, Mabry has worked with a number of food-service franchise brands, including MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes, Macaroni Grill and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. Now, he says he’s excited to be working closely with Famous Toastery CEO and founder Robert Maynard and the rest of his team. “I saw this as an opportunity to join a great company with a great culture and great people,” Mabry said. “I have two passions in life: people and food. Famous Toastery checks both of those boxes for me.”

As Famous Toastery prepares to expand into new markets, Mabry says his team is focusing on ensuring new franchisees have all the right systems in place, the appropriate support and the highest standards for quality in their establishments. “We’re in the service business, and we have to be servant leaders,” said Mabry. “So whenever a training team member or a marketing team member makes their way into a franchise location, their first question is always, ‘How can we best serve this franchisee?’ Once we’ve answered that question, we'll be able to get to work and help them grow their business.”

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

NFL Player-Turned-Famous Toastery Franchisee Opens Second Location in Charlotte

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 18:00:00 GMT

Former NFL player and coach Justin Griffith continues to leverage his experiences on the field for calculated, strategic, playbook success with the breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise Famous Toastery , as he plans to open his second location in Harrisburg, North Carolina.

Griffith, who opened his first location in March 2018 in Uptown Charlotte, is currently scouting real estate in Harrisburg, which is set to open in Spring 2023. The former athlete cited the brand’s work-life balance, great food and Charlotte-based community as reasons for reinvesting. “I've been looking for years to get to this second location,” stated Griffith. “Within Farmington — a community in Harrisburg — there are over 600 homes. This second location is surrounded by families and easy access to and from the restaurant. This is the prime opportunity for Famous Toastery to grow in an up-and-coming community.”

Griffith said that because of his small children and an increased desire to spend more time at home with his family, Famous Toastery’s 4:00 p.m. clock-out time was a major draw, and because the brand already has a strong presence throughout North Carolina, he could tap into existing brand awareness and demand. After the successful launch of his first franchise location, Griffith says he was ready to expand to Harrisburg, a burgeoning, family-oriented community. Additionally, Griffith had the opportunity to purchase the land to build the Famous Toastery location, making him his own landlord.

Why Justin Griffith Was Prepared For A Famous Toastery Franchise

Griffith says his previous experience as an offensive quality control coach for the Raiders played a critical role in preparing him for success with the Famous Toastery franchise. “I had to have the ability to organize my schedule so that I was allocating enough time to work on the approach for the players on the field,” said Griffith. “I’d need to draw up the playbooks and make sure that they all got into the players’ lockers for them to study. For us to be successful, the team was relying on me to do my job on time and accurately.” In his career as a franchisee with Famous Toastery, Griffith says his new playbook consists of things like paying the vendors on time, coming up with different items on the menu, making sure everything in the building is running in tip-top shape, and establishing an atmosphere that employees and customers enjoy.

"Justin is a great example of a former athlete thriving as a franchisee,” said Michal Mabry , President of Famous Toastery. “By following our systems and processes, he has been able to run a successful location and is now expanding to open another location. Our goal is for each of our franchise partners to be able to grow their own successes as franchisees by making themselves famous at their location."

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Charlotte, N.C.-based Famous Toastery began in 2005 in a small house-turned-restaurant where best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened their first breakfast spot. Never compromising fresh ingredients or friendly service, Famous Toastery evolved into a franchise system in 2013 and now has over 25 locations. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business' The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest-growing companies and Franchise Times' Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.ownatoastery.com.

Why Virginia’s First Famous Toastery Franchisee Continues To Reinvest in the Better-Breakfast Franchise

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:58:00 GMT

Looking for opportunities to continue building on years of momentum, despite the challenges of the pandemic, Famous Toastery , the 26-unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, launched its first ghost kitchen in 2020. That innovative new store model was opened in Warrenton, Virginia, by guest-turned-franchisee Angela Goodman , who also operates one brick-and-mortar location and one ghost kitchen in the state. Now, Goodman is planning to open a third location in Prince William County with the fast-growing franchise brand.

Goodman’s continued reinvestment with the better-breakfast brand is a testament to the value franchise owners across the brand’s system are finding with Famous Toastery . After relocating to Charlotte, North Carolina — Famous Toastery’s home turf since its founding in 2005 — Goodman was a frequent guest and saw firsthand just how popular the concept was. When she learned of the brand’s franchise availability, she knew she’d found a rare and potentially lucrative opportunity. “I had been working in the HVAC industry. The experience was rewarding, but I had reached a point where I wanted to get into business for myself,” she said. “I also knew that I wanted to be a part of the food industry. I didn’t expect to get into franchising, but when I found out that Famous Toastery was franchising, I knew it was right for me.”

The Pandemic Helped Famous Toastery Franchisees Define Their Individual Brand

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the franchise’s corporate team quickly pivoted to adjust to a dramatically altered restaurant landscape. On top of providing health and safety guidance for their franchisees, the corporate team initiated a new point of sale (POS) system to offer online ordering to their customers in only four days.

Beyond that immediate operational support, the corporate team also made sure to give franchisees the freedom to make individual choices that they felt would benefit their specific restaurants. For Goodman, this meant stepping up to the plate and focusing on local marketing efforts in her community.

“When it came to local marketing, we created family-meal kits and coordinated a neighborhood drop-off program, where a customer would call us during the week and place an order for the whole neighborhood, and we'd deliver the food over the weekend,” Goodman said. “We wanted to get breakfast out for the people and made sure to advertise locally so people knew that we were open seven days a week with curbside pickup, contactless payment and more. On top of that, we teamed up with the local tennis association and raised about $5,000 to feed workers at several hospitals in the northern Virginia area. The efforts were extremely well-received. We even won an award from the United States Tennis Association.” Goodman also created a restaurant ownership group for other local businesses in the community to create a space where business owners could share best practices and support each other.

“Angela is an example of how innovative our franchisees can be,” said David Burgess , Chief Operations Officer for Famous Toastery. “She reached out to our marketing team with great ideas, and we were able to help with design, but she really took it and ran with it. In addition, Angela led the company in contactless payment orders and spent a lot of time calling customers to get their payment information and organizing points for drop-off. She was also able to add text payment to create a more streamlined POS.”

Marketing Became A Bigger Focus For The Famous Toastery Franchise

Burgess also noted that Goodman did a fantastic job prioritizing social media marketing and connecting with local HOA groups to advertise her family-meals kits. “The marketing team works hard to help franchisees negotiate contacts, design promotional material and more,” said Burgess. “But it is not just about giving franchisees a one-size-fits-all process to use, it is about working together to create the best strategy based on that particular market. As Angela shows, when franchisees really take the opportunity to drive these best practices home, it can be massively successful. While there are some system-wide promotions we offer, each franchisee has complete autonomy when it comes to local marketing efforts.”

Since Famous Toastery is a part of the family-oriented breakfast, lunch and brunch segment, Burgess says local store marketing is the key to connecting with the community. “Pandemic or not, connecting with the local community is essential for this daypart,” said Burgess. “If a franchisee doesn’t drive home that local messaging, they will fall behind. Franchise owners know their customers better than anybody else — they are the ones who are interacting with the community day-to-day — and our most successful restaurants are the ones that create a friendly, go-to hangout for breakfast, brunch and lunch. Bringing the community together is so important, especially now.”

Goodman noted that her ghost kitchen was particularly successful throughout the pandemic. She was also able to successfully pivot the dine-in business model to 100% carry-out at the height of the pandemic by offering online ordering. Goodman was also the first to pilot a new offering with DashNOW so guests had a seamless process to place orders over the phone and take payment via text link. Now, Goodman says she is focusing on developing another location in Virginia and “getting the concept of where it needs to be in the marketplace that it’s in.” Additionally, she’s actively looking for dine-in space to transition her ghost kitchen into a full dine-in restaurant.

ABOUT FAMOUS TOASTERY

Charlotte, N.C.-based Famous Toastery began in 2005 in a small house-turned-restaurant where best friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard opened their first breakfast spot. Never compromising fresh ingredients or friendly service, Famous Toastery evolved into a franchise system in 2013 and now has over 25 locations. In 2020 and 2019, Famous Toastery placed on Restaurant Business' The Future 50, featuring the fastest-growing small chains. Famous Toastery was ranked No. 9 in the Full-Service Restaurants category of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises of 2019 and on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Rankings in 2019. In 2018, Famous Toastery received recognition by CNBC as a top franchise to buy, FSR Magazine as one of the Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off, Inc. 5000’s list of the fastest growing companies and Franchise Times' Top 200+ franchise opportunities. For more information about Famous Toastery, visit www.famoustoastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.ownatoastery.com.

Famous Toastery Announces Ann Eley as New Director of Training - Famous Toastery Franchise Opportunities | Best Breakfast Franchise

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:56:00 GMT

Famous Toastery , the 25-plus unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, has announced the addition of Ann Eley to its executive team as Director of Training. Eley will be instrumental in training both incoming and existing franchise owners as the brand moves closer to reaching 50 units by 2024 .

And Eley is certainly no stranger to the Famous Toastery brand. She spent five years on the team earlier in her career, starting as a server and working her way up to a Training Manager. In that position, Eley helped open 26 units, created a training team, offered franchisee support and documented all trainer procedures. “I really grew up at Famous Toastery,” said Eley. “When I worked as a server at the Davidson restaurant, the brand only had three locations at that time. They started opening more stores, and I asked if I could be part of the team. The rest is history.”

Before her first stint with Famous Toastery, Eley attended culinary school with a life-long goal of becoming a chef. “I knew in my heart that I wanted to be in food service,” she said. “I worked in and out of restaurants and learned everything I could about the industry. After I left Famous Toastery in 2017, I started managing a gym for two years before the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down. From there, I started working full-time at a golf course and did meal prep on the side to donate to struggling families.”

Over the years, Eley says, she kept in touch with her original Famous Toastery family. When she was contacted about an opportunity to come back as the new Director of Training earlier this year, she jumped at the chance. “Famous Toastery was always my favorite job,” said Eley. “Three important factors make the brand stand out: quality, standards and family. The quality of the menu is unmatched, their high standards match my standards, and the team is already my family. You don’t find that in many places, all three of those things together. Being back feels like home — I bleed maple syrup!”

What Will Ann Eley Do As Director Of Training?

In her new role as Director of Training, Eley says she will focus on ensuring all franchisees and staff get the most out of the training procedures , emphasizing a company-wide initiative to encourage franchisees to “ Be Famous ” in the communities they serve. “We are in the people business, so it is essential that people have what they need to be successful and give back to others,” Eley said. “I will be training anybody who needs help, whether it be servers, managers, franchisees. We will also offer continuing education and training on new menu items , initiatives and more. Franchisees need the resources to succeed even after opening their doors. It is all about consistency — really making sure the team is hitting the standard every time and the quality is there. The experience that we give as trainers is the experience our team will give guests, whether it is a perfect plate of food or top-notch service. That impacts the whole system, especially as we grow. This generation will take our brand to the next level, so I want to continue to help them be better.”

Robert Maynard , CEO and Founder of Famous Toastery, says he couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Eley back onto the team during such an exciting time for the brand. The team hopes to sell eight to 10 deals in 2022 and open four to six restaurants next year. Looking long-term into 2024, Maynard and his team aim to have 50 open restaurants. “With the strong foundation we already have and the growing team coming in, the time has never been better to join the Famous Toastery family,” said Maynard. “Expert guidance from Famous Toastery-pros like Ann will help incoming owners leverage our business model and open a beloved neighborhood establishment in their local market.”

Want To Learn More About Opening A Famous Toastery Franchise?

Is Famous Toastery A Franchise?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:55:00 GMT

Yes, Famous Toastery Is A Franchise!

There’s no doubt about it: Americans love their breakfast, making it a more than $11 billion industry ! One exciting and fresh restaurant concept is quickly making itself known on the scene – Famous Toastery.

Best friends since the age of eight, Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard have always shared a passion for good food, and known delicious meals and top quality service were a combination for success. Finally, in 2005, Burchill and Maynard decided to open their first Famous Toastery in Huntersville, North Carolina, in a small house-turned-restaurant. But this wasn’t going to be just any old greasy diner spot. Famous Toastery was going to place an emphasis on fresh food and unparalleled customer service.

Through the incredible reputation they built, the customer base they grew, and the devoted community and family they created, it worked! Then, in 2013, Burchill and Maynard decided to turn their business model into a thriving franchise system. Now nearly 30 Famous Toasteries have opened along the East Coast, with plenty more planned in the coming years. In fact, Famous Toastery plans to open 50 units – doubling its footprint – by 2024!

The recipe for Famous Toastery’s growth all these years has been its commitment to fresh, made-to-order menu items, such as the Avocado Omelet, the Famous Hash, and the signature Flapjacks, as well as the dedication to serving communities and creating a family within each restaurant. By focusing on their franchisees and guests, Famous Toastery has been able to efficiently turn their business into a noticeable franchise model. The Famous Toastery franchise team has even built a reputation for providing exceptional franchisee support from day one in order to help franchisees Be Famous in their own communities.

Why Franchise With Famous Toastery?

Famous Toastery continues to be the concept of choice for entrepreneurs wanting to enter the breakfast segment, and it’s not hard to see why. Famous Toastery offers a best-in-class training and support platform that makes franchisees excel at running their business. The Famous Toastery elite support team covers everything from Operations, Marketing, Finance, Accounting, Training, and even navigating the supply chain and inventory. Not only that, Famous Toastery bolstered its franchisee support by hiring several key additions to its Executive team whose jobs are solely to work directly with franchise owners. The Famous Toastery team has made huge commitments to ensure franchisees feel supported for the life of the franchise.

Famous Toastery has also instilled core mission statements to guide the way, such as the motto “every server is your server,” tending to customer needs and making every customer feel famous. With this, a “famous experience” starts with fresh ingredients and inclusive recipes, from freshly squeezed orange juice to pure, 100% grade A maple syrup, customers know their meal was made in-house, never from a can.

Famous Toastery Keeps Costs Low and Profits High

Famous Toastery ensures the right entrepreneurs have the opportunity to invest. That’s why Famous Toastery is committed to remaining one of the most affordable opportunities in the breakfast/lunch segment, with initial investments running as low as $575,500 to $999,500. The investment opportunity also involves a $250k liquidity requirement, a $500k net worth requirement, and a $45k franchise fee.

Franchise owners have the opportunity to drive in huge profits. According to the most recent Franchise Disclosure Document, the average gross sales of a Famous Toastery franchise was reported at $1,316,080. That’s not to mention the incredible opportunity for growth and expansion. Just a few months into 2022, Famous Toastery was on track to close 10-12 new franchise deals, a testament to the rapidly growing footprint of a franchise model that works.

“Franchising is all about making things easier and faster in different aspects,” Maynard says. “The concept Famous Toastery chose was not to change how we source our food and how we prepare that fresh, made-to-order style that is so loved. That’s staying in our core model. It’s what makes us who we are. It’s not rocket science. It's just execution.”

Join The $11.1 Billion Breakfast Restaurant Industry

According to IBIS World , the breakfast restaurant industry ballooned into a $11.1 billion industry in the U.S. in 2022, with a nearly 10% market growth. That’s because, quite simply, Americans are hungry for breakfast and love going out to eat. As consumer spending and travel increase, so too is the demand for breakfast spots. “As the economy recovers and as demand for healthier foods rises, industry profitability is anticipated to expand,” IBIS World reported.

Indeed, within the booming breakfast restaurant industry, there is plenty of room to grow and expand. According to a February 2022 study by The NPD Group , visits to restaurants for breakfast increased 11 percent, highlighting pent-up demand and the growing need for options. That’s why Famous Toastery is full speed ahead on opening 50 units by 2024, hitting the market at the right time with the right menu.

Be Famous With A Famous Toastery Franchise!

Americans are truly taking the old saying that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’ to the next level. And when breakfast time is over, Famous Toastery franchises are here serving lunch too! Since it started franchising, Famous Toastery has become famous for having the best franchisees in the marketplace. If you’re looking for a best-bet opportunity, and want to be famous with guests, team members, and the community, then Famous Toastery may be a perfect fit for you.

To learn more, we invite you to visit our website here . If you’re ready to start a conversation about investing in a Famous Toastery franchise, fill out our form here .

Why A Strong Corporate Team Helps Your Franchise Grow

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:53:00 GMT

A Strong Corporate Team Means Strong Franchisee Support

Aspiring entrepreneurs searching for investment opportunities know that one of the major benefits of buying into the franchise system is to become part of an established business offering tried-and-true franchisee support. Sure, major companies can offer a leg up on things like brand recognition, but at the end of the day, franchisees are making a major life and financial choice to invest in a brand, and expect all the support and training possible to ensure their success.

Famous Toastery has invested heavily in its Corporate Team in order to support franchise growth. They’ve recently announced the addition of several key new members to its Executive Team, hired both through internal promotions and external hirings. All of whom possess the qualified leadership skills necessary to build the “Be Famous” mantra among franchisees that seeks to grow the franchise into the national spotlight.

So let’s meet the new members. Mike Sebazco joined Famous Toastery’s Executive Team as President in 2022. With a strong background in operations, Mike is ready to focus on unit economics and improve operations within the Corporate Team. Joe Gillie, who has worked in nearly every role possible in the restaurant industry over 30 years. He now serves as Famous Toastery’s Vice President of Operations. His expertise will help franchise owners grow in the early stages of owning a Famous Toastery. Earlier this year, Eric Gustafsson also came on board as Vice President of Franchise Development. Over his career, Gustafsson has lived and breathed franchising, as well as offered operational consulting and profitability coaching for franchisees and marketing. Gustafsson’s skills and coaching are a welcomed addition to the Famous Toastery Corporate Team, already proving to make a difference. All new Corporate Team members are committed to seeing the Famous Toastery brand reach new heights.

How Famous Toastery’s Team Elevates Their Franchisees

All of Famous Toastery’s efforts in its Corporate Team have one goal in mind: to support the franchisees. Famous Toastery’s teams are full speed ahead to achieve three major strategies for the year: build sales at the unit level through marketing efforts and upgraded operational support, put the right people in place on the leadership team, and to build opportunities at the restaurant level for franchisees. The team is also hard at work ensuring the brand has extensive coverage from a unit level, and are bringing on the right franchise owners to grow the brand.

Famous Toastery also boasts one of the most innovative marketing teams in the industry. Case in point: Famous Toastery recently debuted its new franchise website that effectively tells its brand story, goals for the future, and what it means to Be Famous.

“We have hired several industry veterans that have some of the best ideas and the expertise to execute those ideas,” says Robert Maynard, founder and CEO of Famous Toastery. “When it comes to successful expansion, it is all about people. From the top to the bottom. It doesn’t matter how great the food is, if we don’t have the people to execute on ideas, we won’t succeed. Our goal at this stage is to build the best team possible.”

Initial Investment Costs

Famous Toastery is one of the most affordable franchise options in the booming breakfast industry. For years, Famous Toastery has made it part of its mission and culture to remain an easy to access investment opportunity to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to take control of their destiny in small business ownership. The cost to open a Famous Toastery runs as low as $575,500 to $999,500, which includes a $45,000 franchise fee. For U.S. veterans, we offer an additional discount of 50% off the franchise fee. Veterans make perfect franchise owners thanks to their training and commitment. Thank you for your service!

Grow With Famous Toastery Today!

Famous Toastery is setting the stage to take the U.S. by storm, offering the best breakfast/brunch/lunch dining experience in the restaurant industry. Right now, Famous Toastery is looking for qualified and dedicated entrepreneurs who want to take charge at this exciting time in the brand’s history, knowing full well they are backed by a seasoned and experienced Corporate Team that’s with you every step of the way.

Get started on this exciting journey today by filling out the apply now form here !

Own A Famous Toastery Breakfast Franchise Today!

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:51:00 GMT

Americans Love Breakfast!

It’s not just the most important meal of the day, it’s also the most popular: breakfast. According to market research firm The NPD Group , most Americans eat breakfast every single day – 361 days out of the year to be exact – which is up from 350 days a year in 2010. What’s more, the research found that out of the three meals, only breakfast experienced a growth in traffic for diners eating out. Even the recent spike in inflation hasn’t affected the demand for breakfast. The NPD Group found that while overall traffic to restaurants fell 2% in the second quarter from a year ago as inflation drove up menu prices, the only category that remained unchanged was breakfast.

Owning a Breakfast Franchise Has Never Been More Appetizing

As the old saying goes, ‘you don’t just become famous overnight,’ but Famous Toastery founders Robert Maynard and Brian Burchill came pretty darn close. In 2005, Maynard and Burchill became sick and tired of the old greasy breakfast spots that for some reason have become the norm in communities across the U.S. So, the two childhood friends asked, “Why can’t breakfast be both comfort food and healthy?” And thus, Famous Toastery was born, opening in Huntersville, North Carolina, and then expanded to a larger location in Davidson, North Carolina.

In 2013, Famous Toastery successfully began franchising and now boasts 25 locations all over the Southeast. As Americans’ demand for quality and fresh ingredients grows, Famous Toastery is primed for unprecedented expansion. Famous Toastery restaurants have become renowned in their communities for uncompromisingly fresh and decadent meals, while also creating warm and welcoming atmospheres for people to spend time with friends and family. It’s why Famous Toastery runs on the “Be Famous” mantra, which is not just about making the brand famous, but also making every single franchisee, staff member, and customer feel part of something bigger.

With the demand for a quality breakfast, brunch, and lunch dining experience showing no signs of slowing down, Famous Toastery is a brand in the right place at the right time, ready to grow. As Famous Toastery continues to expand its footprint, they are actively looking for the right team members and the right franchisees who believe in the “Be Famous” message, love serving people and being pillars in their communities, and want to have the best franchise in the marketplace.

Famous Toastery is with You Every Step of the Way

Famous Toastery’s supportive team makes no doubt about it: they are here to serve the franchisee. Both franchise owners and staff undergo a comprehensive and best-in-class training and support program, where they learn all the ins and outs of the “Be Famous” initiative. Famous Toastery also offers ongoing support and education on new menu items, company goals, and even “famous business consultants” that assist with day-to-day operations and help franchise owners reach personal goals. When investing in Famous Toastery, franchise owners are buying into a blueprint that is proven to bring a beloved neighborhood establishment to their communities.

“We’ve had years and years of seeing what works and what doesn’t work,” said Brian Burchill , Founder and Chief Culture Officer. “Franchisees are coming into the system and opening up their locally owned business, and they put their trust in us to give them the platform to succeed. We want everyone to achieve their goals, including clientele, staff and their families. When I opened the first store, my goal was to establish a sense of trust with the staff, customers and franchisees. That trust enables us to be more than just a business.”

What Does the Initial Investment Look Like?

Famous Toastery remains one of the most affordable franchise options in a booming breakfast segment. For years, Famous Toastery has made it part of its mission and culture to remain an easy to access investment opportunity to aspiring entrepreneurs who want to take control of their destiny in small business ownership. As a result, the cost to open a Famous Toastery runs as low as $575,500 to $999,500, which includes a $45,000 franchise fee. For U.S. veterans, we offer an additional discount of 50% off the franchise fee. Veterans make perfect franchise owners thanks to their training and commitment. Thank you for your service!

Famous Toastery offers a unique, one of a kind investment opportunity with the potential for incredibly high profits. The average gross sale reported at $1,316,080, according to Famous Toastery’s 2021 Franchise Disclosure Document.

Steps to Owning a Famous Toastery Franchise

Ready to take the next steps in becoming famous? Famous Toastery makes it incredibly easy. First, complete an online form here expressing your interest. From there, a Famous Toastery team member will give you a call to make sure you’re a fit. You’ll then complete an easy to fill out franchise application form, and meet the Famous Toastery team. Then, you’ll be one step closer after signing the franchise agreement and begin onboarding. Before you know it, you’ll be on the path to becoming famous!

With an unmatched strong foundation and a growing team, there has never been a better time to join the Famous Toastery family. On track to open 50 units by 2024, Famous Toastery is looking for the right motivated and excited entrepreneurs who want to Be Famous in their community.

How To Open A Brunch Franchise

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:45:00 GMT

Why A Brunch Franchise?

Look outside any breakfast restaurant on the weekend with lines wrapped around the street corner, and you know: brunch is out of this world popular. But brunch is more than just a trend – it’s a positive social experience that brings people together over delicious food. In the past decade, brunch has overtaken not only breakfast, but also lunch and dinner as the most popular meal of the day, which is why restaurants all across the U.S. are quickly trying to adapt to offer brunch items on their menu.

But it’s not just brunch Americans are craving. Increasingly, the demand for restaurants that cover the range of breakfast to brunch to lunch is through the roof. According to a nationwide survey by The Harris Poll, 62% of people said breakfast is their favorite meal of the day, with 75% of people saying they look forward to eating breakfast/brunch at their favorite restaurant. The NPD Group , a market research firm, also found that from September to November 2021, on-premise traffic for lunch improved by 44% compared to the same time period the year prior. Indeed, the appetite for breakfast, brunch, and lunch is not slowing down anytime soon.

“Brunch has become more popular than ever,” The Washington Post recently reported. “Data from Google Trends show that search interest in brunch has been rising steadily since 2004… And the weekend phenomenon is spreading. Demand for the meal has been so great that even fast-food eateries and casual sit-down restaurants have begun to offer weekend brunch deals.”

How to Open a Brunch Franchise with Famous Toastery

Famous Toastery is a brand on the rise that offers a scalable, wealth building business model that’s easy-to-operate and easy-to-scale for franchisees. As part of a concerted effort to expand in prime locations across the U.S., Famous Toastery has made it simple to begin the franchise journey to open one of the best-bet investment opportunities in the industry.

First, aspiring entrepreneurs are asked to complete an online form that expresses your interest and asks for basic information. Then, potential franchise candidates speak with a member of the Famous Toastery steam to see if you’re a fit. If so, the next level is completing a franchise application and meeting the Famous Toastery team. Before you know it, you’ll sign the franchise agreement and begin the onboarding process.

Through it all, the Famous Toastery team is there every step of the way. Potential candidates speak with other franchisees to learn about their experiences with the brand and business model. Famous Toastery also offers one of the best-in-class training and support programs in the industry. And the Famous Toastery team is committed to being with franchise owners during Discovery Day, the grand opening, and promises a commitment to ongoing support.

Learn More About Famous Toastery Today!

Famous Toastery is a franchise at the right place at the right time. America's love of breakfast, brunch and lunch is at all time highs and showing no signs of slowing down. Famous Toastery offers one of the most affordable and accessible franchise models in the industry, ready to take the country by storm. If you want to apply to be famous, learn more at our website.

Now Is The Time To Invest In A Famous Toastery

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:43:00 GMT

The Breakfast Restaurant Industry is Continuing to Grow

It’s the first, the most important, and apparently the favorite meal of the day – breakfast. Consumers are proving it with the incredible growth in the breakfast market size. According to a report in Million Insights , the global breakfast restaurant market size was valued at $31.23 billion in 2020, and expected to skyrocket at an annual compound growth rate of 6.8% from 2021 to 2028. That means in just a few years, the demand for breakfast restaurants will hit nearly $50 billion!

So what’s behind consumers' increasing love of breakfast options at restaurants? For one, Americans are placing an increasing importance on health and wellness, and it’s no secret skipping breakfast can lead to serious health consequences. Just recently, the American Heart Association published a study that stated men who reported they skipped breakfast had a 27 percent higher risk of heart attack or death from coronary heart disease. As the U.S. becomes a more health conscious country, consumers want to start their day right with a healthy meal.

But that doesn’t tell the entire story. In the same study, Leah E. Cahill, Ph.D., lead author and Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, Mass states, "Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time". Turns out, Americans can benefit from eating breakfast daily in more ways than just reducing the risk of heart disease. As a result, restaurants across the country are expanding their menus and hours to offer breakfast items.

Famous Toastery Stands Out In A Big Way

But with so many breakfast options out there, a restaurant needs to be special – Famous, even – to set itself apart from the rest. At Famous Toastery, it comes down to three important factors: a highly effective business model, a fresh menu with fresh ingredients, and high growth potential.

The Famous Business Model

Famous Toastery offers a scalable, wealth building business model that has helped bring its “famously fresh” breakfast, brunch, and lunch offerings to communities across the U.S. Famous Toastery gives franchisees a system in place that has a track record for growth in a high demand market, all the while offering an attractive work-life balance. Over the last 15 years, Famous Toastery has perfected operational procedures, built a strong book of vendors, and developed an extensive new owner training program and ongoing franchisee support – just to name a few. And, with operating hours from 7 am to 3pm, Famous Toastery offers a desirable lifestyle.

“We want to make the business as simple as possible, so franchisees can focus on serving the best possible experience for their customers,” said Famous Toastery VP of Franchise Development Eric Gustafsson . “We're in the breakfast/lunch business, so our goal is to get a new store open for a price that is affordable and makes sense for generating ROI. We don’t want to be building a restaurant space for a million dollars, we want to keep it looking nice, hip and fast, but still be economical. Our kitchen is built for speed, maximizing space and reducing costs.”

Fresh Menu, Fresh Ingredients

Famous Toastery wouldn’t be where it is today without one key-defining factor: great, out-of-this-world food and a best-in-class dining experience. In fact, Famous Toastery was founded after owners Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard, who were tired of the old, greasy breakfast options.

Now, every famous experience starts with famously fresh ingredients – from freshly squeezed orange juice to 100% pure organic maple syrup. But that’s not all – Famous Toastery offers inclusive recipes expertly crafted with only the highest quality ingredients, with every menu item made-to-order. And Famous Toastery’s team is always looking to expand with exciting new menu items, such as the recently added protein power bowl, shrimp and grits, and a partnership with Abby’s Better Nut Butter.

High Growth

What’s Famous Toastery’s growth plan? To take a bite out of the growing better breakfast segment and take the industry by storm. Famous Toastery began in 2005 with one small, house-turned restaurant. Now, Famous Toastery is a franchise system that boasts more than 25 locations.

The reason Famous Toastery is experiencing such unprecedented growth is its relatively low start-up costs, on top of solid unit-level economics. As a result, year-over-year sales have risen more than 30% for its franchises in 2022. Primed for growth, Famous Toastery is setting its sights on reaching 50 units – effectively doubling its current footprint – by 2024, with a target on the Carolinas.

You’re Family with a Famous Toastery Franchise

Famous Toastery takes great pride in offering a family atmosphere for customers, and that all starts with building a family atmosphere with franchisees. From onboarding to the grand opening and for the life of the franchise, Famous Toastery is with franchisees every step of the way, available 24/7. Famous Toastery provides the blueprint that allows franchisees to run a cherished neighborhood establishment. A solid support infrastructure means franchisees aren’t at it alone, and instead have invested in a concept that’s proven with a team offering all the backing support to be successful.

“At the end of the day, our franchisees make Famous Toastery famous, not vice versa,” President Michael Mabry said. “Without our franchisees, we don’t have a brand. This is a locally owned and operated business. The idea that the franchisees are already famous in their markets — famous with their guests, famous with their team members — that puts the famous in Famous Toastery. That is why we will continue to build out our executive team and ensure franchisees have all the support they need to serve their communities.”

Invest in a Famous Toastery Franchise Today!

With the breakfast restaurant industry booming, Be Famous by starting a Famous Toastery in your community. Famous Toastery is like no other breakfast restaurant concept – it’s a brand with an incredible business model, high growth potential and the best food around. Learn more by visiting Famous Toastery’s website here.

Famous Toastery Nabs Spot

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:41:00 GMT

Ranking on the Franchise Times Top 500

It’s nice to Be Famous: in a huge win for the rising breakfast and lunch franchise, Famous Toastery officially made the list for Franchise Time’s revered Franchise 500 ranking, which features the best franchise opportunities in the industry. The Franchise Times Top 500 is the most comprehensive ranking of the 500 largest franchise systems in the U.S., backed by more than 20 years of research and remains the only objective ranking of its kind. Every year, researchers and reporters set out on a five-month process to analyze each franchise’s financials and data. As it stands, the Top 500 list is one of the most credible and easy-to-use rankings for aspiring entrepreneurs looking for the best franchises to invest in.

“Our research team uses a combination of companies’ voluntary reports and publicly available data, including the franchises’ most recent franchise disclosure documents and Securities and Exchange Commission filings,” The Franchise Times wrote. “Our research team spends months compiling information for the rankings, the five-year sales history graphs, Top 10 lists and industry subcategories, and then reconciling to ensure all published data is accurate and all estimates are based on a solid sales formula.”

Famous Toastery, a premiere breakfast and lunch franchise restaurant, was highlighted for generating more than $26.7 million in global sales in 2021. Founded in 2006, Famous Toastery began franchising in 2013. Now, Famous Toastery has blossomed, with nearly 30 locations along the East Coast, with plenty more planned in the coming year. And, Famous Toastery remains an accessible investment opportunity, with costs ranging from $575,500 to $999,500. Famous Toastery has only begun its mission to “be famous” in communities across the U.S. in a big way.

Be Famous with a Top Franchise

Famous Toastery has become the rising star in the breakfast and lunch segment, offering a best-in-class dining experience with out of this world food. Made with only the freshest ingredients, Famous Toastery has made a name for itself in the restaurant segment as a franchise to watch out for as it takes the industry by storm.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, Famous Toastery offers the incredible opportunity to “be famous” in your community. The average gross sales of a Famous Toastery location is an amazing $1,316,080, as Americans' demand for a high-quality breakfast option continues to skyrocket. Now, more Americans than ever are eating breakfast, but gone are the days of greasy diners that you regret eating at for the rest of the day. Famous Toastery has stepped up to make breakfast delicious, fresh, and healthy. Now, Famous Toastery is on track to double its units to 50 by 2024!

“We’ve stayed true to our mission, guaranteeing that our food is fresh and made in-house every single day,” says CEO and founder Robert Maynard. “Famous Toastery doesn't just use the word ‘fresh’ and have frozen tomato soup come in, or have nitrate-filled turkey come in. We roast our own turkey, make our own soup, our own salad dressings, and every omelet in a pan. We get top-of-the-line items and don’t cut corners on food. That’s the big differentiator between us and our competitors.”

Invest in a Top Franchise Today

Are you ready to Be Famous with Famous Toastery? Famous Toastery is committed to its famous food and service, and is looking for the right entrepreneurs to bring this tried business model, with its delicious breakfast and lunch options, to communities around the U.S. If you want to learn how to be famous in your community, fill out a form here to get more information today!

What Makes The Best Famous Toastery Franchise Owner?

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:28:00 GMT

Why a Brunch Franchise?

Growing up, breakfast was said to be the most important meal of the day. Well, move over breakfast: Brunch has taken over. Indeed, Brunch has become a cultural phenomenon in the U.S. over the past 10 years. It’s no longer a question of if Americans are going to Brunch, it’s a matter of where. Brunch has emerged as the preferred option for dining with family and friends, not just on weekends, but also throughout the week, as more Americans forgo breakfast for a later meal. And across the country, Americans are looking for more Brunch options.

“The takeaway is that Brunch, long the exclusive province of sit-down restaurants, is now a thoroughly viable option for quick-service and fast-casual chains,” according to a report in QSR Magazine . “By playing to consumers’ increasing interest in… comfort fare, enterprising concepts can create destination-worthy menu items that speak to the Brunch fan in all of us. As the lovechild of breakfast and lunch, Brunch has a lot in common with its parents, who can swap concepts and ingredients back and forth to create ever-new dining experiences.”

The numbers are there to back it up. According to IBIS World , breakfast restaurants and diners ballooned into a $11.1 billion industry in 2022, up nearly 10% from the year prior. And that shows no signs of slowing down: “As the economy recovers and as demand for healthier foods rises, industry profitability is anticipated to expand,” IBIS World reported.

What Makes the Best Famous Toastery Franchise Owner?

One of the rising stars in the breakfast and lunch restaurant industry is Famous Toastery, which now boasts nearly 30 units located on the East Coast. At the heart of Famous Toastery’s incredible growth, however, are the franchise owners who have become famous in their community for having the best breakfast, Brunch, and lunch items, on top of unparalleled customer service. So how can Famous Toastery franchisees really Be Famous with a Famous Toastery franchise? Let’s dive in.

A Love for Food

To be successful in any endeavor in life, you have to have a passion for what you’re doing. The same rings true at Famous Toastery, where franchise owners must have an insatiable love of food. At Famous Toastery, it’s truly all about the food. Famous Toastery was founded in 2005 after lifelong friends Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard became tired of the same old greasy diner breakfast options. As a result, they opened their first Famous Toastery in Huntersville, N.C., which features only the freshest, high quality ingredients for a breakfast experience that can’t be matched anywhere else. To find success as a franchise owner, you have to carry that same love and passion for food that has made Famous Toastery the famous restaurant spot it is.

A People Person

Owning a business, especially a public facing one, such as a restaurant, requires a talent and enthusiasm for connecting with people. That takes form in two ways at a Famous Toastery. For starters, franchise owners are leaders who pick, train, and support a team. On the other hand, franchise owners also engage with customers, whether at the restaurant or when building relationships in the community. But when you enjoy talking to others, all this is easy!

Entrepreneur Savvy

Part of the advantage of investing in a franchise system is buying into a business model that is clearly laid out and has proven to grow. But even still, franchise owners are running their own business, and must exhibit the entrepreneurial acumen to ensure their locations thrive.

“It’s all about execution,” says CEO and founder Robert Maynard. “We have the choice to muddle our system down with subpar service and food and make a little more money, but then we wouldn’t be able to call ourselves the ‘better breakfast’ franchise. Anything can be made a system. Franchising is all about making things easier and faster in different aspects. The concept Famous Toastery chose was not to change how we source our food and how we prepare that fresh, made-to-order style that is so loved. That’s staying in our core model. It’s what makes us who we are. It’s not rocket science, it’s just execution.”

Learn More about Becoming a Famous Toastery Franchise Owner Today!

With Americans' demand for Brunch options continuing an unprecedented climb, Famous Toastery is the right franchise at the right time. Famous Toastery is actively looking for excited and energetic entrepreneurs who have a love for food, a passion for people, and possess all the business acumen to be famous in their community and be part of Famous Toastery’s incredible journey to expand across the U.S. To learn more, file a request for more information.

Add Famous Toastery To Your Franchise Portfolio

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 17:24:00 GMT

Famous Toastery Franchises Take Breakfast to the Next Level

America’s love for breakfast is no secret. In fact, three in five Americans now say breakfast is their favorite meal of the day. While there are a number of breakfast restaurant options out there, people are tired of the old greasy diner and the stale food offered at fast-food chains. That’s why Famous Toastery was founded with the mission to deliver a unique breakfast experience to their guests that keeps them coming back for more. Not many other breakfast and brunch restaurants can boast a completely from scratch kitchen with fresh food made every single day. Famous Toastery can.

Famous Toastery was the brainchild of Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard, two childhood friends with a love of breakfast. In 2005, the two friends opened the first Famous Toastery in Huntersville, North Carolina, and the concept quickly took off. Now, there are nearly 30 franchise locations. The secret to growth has been a famously fresh menu, with 100% organic maple syrup, freshly squeezed orange juice, house-made sauces, meats roasted in house, and a guarantee that every meal is to order with no ingredient ever frozen. More than anything, Famous Toastery is known for great services.

Famous Toastery has gained a loyal customer base, with some people visiting three to four times a week, sometimes twice a day. Customers know they can get the best at Famous Toastery – no cutting corners for guests or on the menu. The breakfast industry is booming, with demand for high quality food and highly quality service. Famous Toastery has been able to deliver and make franchise owners famous in their community in the process. Whether you’re a Famous server, chef, or franchisee – Being Famous is a mindset that thrives at Famous Toastery.

Low Startup Costs let You Focus on Your Business

One of the biggest struggles for a new business is the delicate time between opening and getting established in your community. That’s why Famous Toastery has kept startup costs incredibly low to take the burden off franchise owners, allowing them some flexibility and wiggle room while they get their feet on the ground. Keeping startup costs low also helps the franchise and franchisee as a whole to keep expanding Famous Toastery’s footprint in as many communities as possible.

The cost to open a Famous Toastery franchise ranges from $575,500 to $999,500, including a franchise fee starting at $45,000. Rest assured, Famous Toastery is always looking for ways to reduce the costs needed to open a restaurant by eliminating financial barriers. That means more selective real estate and site selection, cost efficient decor and equipment packages, as well as competitive food pricing and buying power.

The Perfect Addition to Any Franchise Portfolio

Famous Toastery is also a great franchise to add to any franchise portfolio, especially if an investor is thinking of adding a food service brand. Increasingly, franchise owners want to hold a mix of concepts in order to diversify their revenue streams. The breakfast, brunch, and lunch industry is quickly emerging as a best bet investment for any franchise portfolio. In fact, the industry has burst into an $11 billion industry . And with most restaurants closing after lunch, franchise owners have flexibility to manage other investments.

"As someone with a good amount of experience in the food service space, I know a strong, passion-driven franchise concept when I see one," Mike Sebazco, newly appointed CEO of Famous Toastery, said in a company press release. "Famous Toastery stands out with not only an amazing menu, but also a community focus that prioritizes the best of the best in customer service. This all makes for a very exciting franchise opportunity — and it is only getting better.”

High-Quality Franchise Support

A franchise system is only as good as its franchisees, which is why Famous Toastery has made serious investments in its support platforms. At Famous Toastery, franchise owners undergo an extensive and robust training and support program from day one that makes you the expert on every single aspect of running a restaurant. And the support offered doesn’t stop there. Famous Toastery helps with real estate and site selection, effective marketing strategies, how to hire and retain excellent staff members, assistance on building a positive culture, and defining business goals. Famous Toastery’s support network is renowned in the industry and keeps the family feel inherent in the brand.

“I saw how much the team has been investing in franchisee support, operations, and marketing over the past few years,” Sabazco says, “and I knew it would be an honor to come aboard and help usher in a new era of growth for Famous Toastery.”

Be Famous with a Famous Toastery Franchise Today!

Famous Toastery is a perfect add-on to a franchise portfolio, as the brand is poised for rapid expansion across the U.S. In fact, Famous Toastery is set to nearly double its footprint to 50 restaurants just this year, a testament to the demand of one of the most famous breakfast and lunch options around. To learn more, make a request for more information.

Invest In A Franchise Offering America’s Favorite Meal

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 22:34:00 GMT

Breakfast Is America’s Favorite Meal

Ask anyone what their favorite meal of the day is, and the answer will likely be resoundingly the same: brunch! But don’t just take our word for it. According to The NPD Group , a leading market research firm, brunch is the most popular day-part for both full service restaurants and quick service restaurants! What’s more, record numbers of people are looking up places to eat brunch on Google than ever before ! Quite simply: people love the experience of going out to brunch with family and friends.

“Brunch is known for its social sense,” according to a report in Future Food . “Cafes on the weekends are packed with tables of friends and family, crossing stories and sharing intimate time together. This still happens in other day-parts as well, but brunch offers a much more casual experience (as opposed to a full-service dinner, let’s say), making it appealing and very accessible – a socializing activity that can be carried out every week. This is very important to note, as it’s all the younger generations that are needing this type of social interaction. Recent research on Gen Z has shown that they will favor food outlets that provide space for them to casually relax and enjoy their time with friends, connecting and socializing rather than a place that limits this behavior.”

The breakfast sector keeps growing

Now three years removed from pandemic-related restaurant shut downs, the demand for going out to eat is through the roof and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, a report in Grandview Research found the breakfast restaurant market is expected to grow substantially due to the rise of consumer demand.

“The rising concern for healthy diet promotes breakfast as the most important meal of the day, leading to the massive adoption of breakfast by people in the developed countries, such as the U.S. and the UK,” Grandview Research reported. “These regions constitute over 40% of restaurants offering breakfast to customers, providing ample growth opportunities.”

In fact, according to IBIS World , breakfast restaurants and diners were expected to generate an astonishing $11.5 billion in market size in 2023 in the U.S. alone! In that same time frame, due to consumer demand, it’s expected breakfast restaurants and diners will grow 3.5%, marking a strong comeback. With Americans eating more breakfast than ever, on top of the demand for the social aspects of brunch, now is a great time to invest in the breakfast sector.

Famous Toastery is poised for growth in 2023

Despite the high demand for quality brunch options, there just aren’t that many restaurants doing it right. In steps Famous Toastery, which offers one of the best breakfast/brunch/lunch dining experiences in the United States. Indeed, Famous Toastery is committed to its menu of “affordable luxury” items – food at a high level, at a cost most can afford. With high quality and fresh foods made from scratch, Famous Toastery isn’t the old greasy diner. Famous Toastery’s one-of-a-kind menu takes breakfast and brunch to the next level.

Recently, Famous Toastery reinvested in its corporate team in a huge push to bolster franchisee support and help the brand grow. Several key new members to the executive team all have the quality leadership skills that will help franchise owners meet their financial goals, be able to expand their footprint and “Be Famous” in their community.

Stepping up support

So how does Famous Toastery support its franchise owners? For starters, Famous Toastery has outlined three main objectives to meet growth targets: build sales at the unit level through marketing and upgraded operational support, put the right people in place on the leadership team, and build opportunities at the restaurant level for franchisees.

With its revamped corporate team, Famous Toastery has experts from a diverse range of backgrounds and skills. Now, Famous Toastery has seasoned experienced professionals to help with unit economics, streamlined operations, start-up strategies, operational and profitability consulting, and much more!

Invest in Famous Toastery today!

With the demand for brunch through the roof, and not enough quality restaurants to meet demand, bringing a Famous Toastery to your community is a wise investment for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to make a difference and “Be Famous” in their community. To learn more, visit our website today!

Famous Toastery is a Recession-Proof Franchise

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 22:21:00 GMT

What is a Recession-Proof Franchise?

When the state of the economy is looking uncertain, or even already taking a turn for the worse, financial stability becomes more important than ever. While there are no 100% guarantees in any business, there are some sectors which have endured through the hardest of times because of their essential nature. Out of the several types of franchises that can hold out against a recession , “food and beverage” is listed in the top spot. Even during a recession, people need to eat, so places like grocery stores and restaurants can maintain or even grow revenue despite an unfavorable economic climate.

Choosing a franchise to invest in is an important decision, and in a rough economy, that decision needs to be a strategic one as well. To ensure you pick a recession-proof franchise, investors should seek out business opportunities that provide necessary goods or services, can demonstrate growth (including during a recession), and are run by management staff who care about both their customers and their franchisees. For all of these qualities and more, look no further than Famous Toastery!

Famous toastery weathered the pandemic

During the height of the pandemic, while plenty of other businesses struggled to adapt and later failed to remain in operation, Famous Toastery was quick to innovate. Within a matter of days, the corporate team was able to develop a new point of sale (POS) system, so online ordering was available for customers. From there, franchise owners had the freedom to make whatever adjustments they felt would be beneficial for their individual locations. As a result, by advertising locally and finding ways to make a powerful impact on surrounding communities when it mattered most, Famous Toastery was able to thrive. Collaboration became a key factor. When franchise owners came up with great ideas, the corporate team worked with them to bring those ideas to life.

Innovation played a significant role in making it through the pandemic, but there is another reason why Famous Toastery was able to weather the storm: the food! Breakfast, brunch, and lunch are immensely popular meals. Especially during quarantine, a little bit of comfort in the form of fresh, healthy food proved to go a long way.

Today, the desire to connect with loved ones over a shared meal is stronger than ever. Famous Toastery provides an excellent venue for friends and families to join together and enjoy affordable, made-to-order breakfast, brunch, and lunch. Our customers know when they can expect only quality ingredients from us, like our 100% organic, pure maple syrup.

Why Famous Toastery?

Regardless of whether the economy is booming or looking not so hot, people will always need to eat and crave good meals they don’t have to make for themselves. Famous Toastery can weather any economic storm by providing the freshest ingredients and service that makes customers feel famous themselves. With the addition of online ordering and catering services, the menu at Famous Toastery is available when customers crave it.

With a Famous Toastery franchise, you are investing in a business model that is not only scalable, but designed to build your wealth in a tried-and-true system that has brought growth to our existing franchise owners. Our brand is rapidly expanding, and always seeking out motivated entrepreneurs who want to Be Famous in their local communities. You won’t want to miss out on this incredible opportunity!

Improved franchise support

One of the most important aspects of owning a franchise is the level of support you receive. The corporate team at Famous Toastery tirelessly work toward improving the support provided to all franchise owners. We set up franchisees for growth by providing all the knowledge, resources, and tools they need in order to open and operate a prosperous Famous Toastery location. During your day-to-day, our support team is available to help solve whatever problems may arise. We have seen the power of collaboration and will work with you to find the best solution.

Another advantage of franchising with Famous Toastery is that when it comes to promoting your business, we help franchise owners secure contracts and develop advertising strategies, but ultimately, franchisees have the freedom to create marketing that works best for them and the specific communities they serve. Some of our most popular promotions have been the result of the remarkable ingenuity of our franchise owners!

Learn More About Famous Toastery Franchise

If you are looking for a recession-proof franchise that can grow your wealth while helping your local community enjoy spending time together again, you have come to the right place. Be Famous with a Famous Toastery franchise! To learn more about what makes Famous Toastery such a great franchise opportunity, check out our website here .

Franchisee Interview: Stacy White

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 21:47:00 GMT

Franchisee interview: Stacy White

S tacy White, like numerous other Famous Toastery franchisees, started off as a regular customer before she eventually followed her dreams of owning a franchise herself. With five children to care for, Stacy and her husband Chuck decided to supplement their income by starting up a Famous Toastery in Mooreseville, North Carolina, and they have been famous in the community since 2015. But a lot of the customers Stacy frequently sees are familiar faces: she and her husband started off as teachers, and now she gets to catch up with former students and their families while serving up fresh, healthy food for breakfast, brunch, and lunch.

See the full interview with Stacy White, where she talks about how glad she is to have started her own Famous Toastery franchise, and what it’s meant for her and her family in the video below.

HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON FAMOUS TOASTERY AS THE FRANCHISE YOU WANTED TO OWN?

Years ago, I was working at a restaurant right across the street here. It was 2000, and I said, “This is what I’ve always wanted.” My husband and I are both teachers—or were—and we had five children between the two of us. So, with a family that size in the state of North Carolina, you have to supplement your income.

Back in 2013, my son called and said “Hey Mom, can you come work here?”, and it was a Famous Toastery in Dilworth. I went in there and they had started franchising at that time. I had myself, my kids, everybody working there. We said, “This is a no-brainer! We close at three!” So together, we decided that if everyone was on board, we were going to do this.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS?

The relationship my staff, and myself, and my husband, have with our clientele is just phenomenal. I have former students that come in that now live in the area, so they come in with their families. I taught them maybe 16 years ago, and I still remember them, I still remember their families. They come in, we catch up on who’s doing this and what’s going on.

It’s funny, my husband Chuck and I say we try to make sure we take care of people, and that’s what we have done with the restaurant. There are days I sit back and I think, “God, this is ours!” It’s amazing.

HOW DO YOU COMPARE YOUR FAMOUS TOASTERY FRANCHISE TO YOUR PREVIOUS LINE OF WORK?

My husband and I come from teaching. Teaching is a job where no one ever tells you, “Thank you.” You don’t ever have people coming up and telling you, “Wow, thanks, great job!” And here, people really appreciate what you do. We give back too. There’s a lot we do for the community that we give back to.

You sit back and watch, and you can see how much we’ve grown and where we’ve come from. It’s amazing. Sometimes, it’s like a dream!

LEARN MORE ABOUT FRANCHISING WITH FAMOUS TOASTERY

If you also want to own a franchise where you can Be Famous in your community for serving the best breakfast, brunch, or lunch in town, look no further than Famous Toastery! To learn more about what an exciting opportunity Famous Toastery is for entrepreneurs across the US, check out our website here .

Franchise Interview: Angela Goodman

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 21:36:00 GMT

FAMOUS TOASTERY FRANCHISEE IN ASHBURN, VA

Angela Goodman’s relationship with Famous Toastery started as a regular client of the booming breakfast spot. With famously fresh menu offerings, Famous Toastery became her go-to breakfast and lunch spot with her family. Little did she know years later she’d become a franchise owner.

“I’d been an actual regular guest back when they first started in North Carolina,” Goodman said. “We took our family there every weekend for breakfast.”

After 15 years working in corporate America for a Fortune 500 company, Goodman decided to take the plunge into restaurant ownership, looking for a more direct connection with her employees, customers, and community. With demand for breakfast, brunch, and lunch offerings through the roof, and little competition in her community, she found the perfect fit with Famous Toastery.

“There just wasn’t that type of restaurant with that family feel here in northern Virginia,” Goodman said. “And I thought it was important to bring it here.”

In this wide-ranging interview, Goodman talks about not needing restaurant experience to be successful at Famous Toastery, what makes the breakfast/lunch spot so unique, and why now is the time to invest.

Did you have any experience before starting a franchise with famous toastery?

I didn’t have any restaurant ownership experience. When I signed my franchise agreement, I had no idea what it was like to own and operate a restaurant. But I was so fortunate that the team at Famous Toastery took me under their wing in the beginning and showed me everything I needed to know.

What makes famous toastery so unique?

There’s a sense of welcoming that pervades the brand as a whole. All franchise owners have a sense of community and want their restaurant to feel like home and to feel like family.

What’s one of the keys to running a successful famous toastery?

We’ve developed our regular clientele from being compassionate. People come in to eat, and whether they’re experiencing a high or low in their life, we’re able to share that with them. And that builds our relationship with our customers and makes us successful as business owners. Being here inside the store to make those relationships with staff and clients is really critical to the success of my business.

What are you most excited about for the future of famous toastery?

Right now is an exciting time to be a franchise owner, because the growth is coming and the infrastructure is there, the marketing is there, the people are there, and the talent is there to really help us grow our businesses. This brand is ready to explode, and I’m excited to see it happen.

Learn more about famous toastery today!

Do you want to be famous in your community with a Famous Toastery? Entrepreneurs all over the U.S. are discovering Famous Toastery is one of the most exciting investment opportunities in the booming breakfast/lunch segment. To learn more, visit our website today!

Not So Fast With That Ham Sandwich! Here’s How Long Ham Really Lasts in the Fridge

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 21:22:00 GMT

Homes around the country celebrate Easter, Christmas and other holidays by making ham the star of the meal. In fact, Americans purchase over 300 million pounds of ham over the holidays. Ham is also popular for celebratory meals because of its versatility, says Chef Ann Eley , director of training at Famous Toastery. "You can pair ham with an array of sides and you can put many flavorings on ham from rubs to glazes and sauces on the side," she says.

Ham allows you to give guests options and enables everyone to be happy they can customize their plate for their palate. Ham is also “in season” for the Easter holiday and is typically readily available. (Turkeys have been more impacted by weather and bird viruses, which you don’t see today with swine, notes Eley).

But just how long does ham last in the fridge ? That answer can vary, so we turned to the experts to weigh in before you make your third ham sandwich of the week.

Facts About Buying Ham

Hams are sold based on different criteria: you’ll find them bone-in, partially boned or boneless. Ham from the shank end of a hog is fattier. The butt end of the hog is easier to slice and leaner.
Ham is sold fresh or cured. Cured hams are wet-cured or dry-cured. Wet-cured ham is brined, where it is soaked in a liquid-salt mixture. Then it’s soaked. A dry-cured ham is covered with salt. It’s stored until it absorbs the salt, which preserves it.
Ham is fully cooked, partially cooked or uncooked. Fully cooked ham has been heated to 148° F internally. Partially cooked ham is at 137° F. If a ham is uncooked or partially cooked, it should be baked before serving. If it’s fully cooked, it needs to be heated.

How Long Does Ham Last in a Fridge?

"As a general guideline, your ham will last for five days," says Daniel Hlusak , culinary director at Titan Hospitality Group in Crofton, Maryland. "Thinly sliced deli ham tends to have a shorter shelf life (he says to check the packaging) and larger hams such as a picnic or spiral can last the full five days."

Be sure the ham is properly cooled at first, says Hlusak. If hot, the ham should be cooked, and uncovered until below 49° F before covering. The wrap or lid will insulate it.

Famous Toastery Experiences Brand Resurgence with Streamlined Operations and New Executive Leadership in Place

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:50:00 GMT

The cost to open a Famous Toastery, costs range from$588,000 – $1,011,500. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com .

Famous Toastery Builds Operations and Leadership

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:48:00 GMT

These enhancements made to Famous Toastery are now paying dividends. In 2022, the brand saw its top 50 percent of franchise locations report an Average Unit Volume (AUV) of $1,770,835.

The cost to open a Famous Toastery, costs range from$588,000 – $1,011,500.

Famous Toastery Signs Deal to Grow in Northeast Florida

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:26:00 GMT

Famous Toastery, a 25-unit better brunch franchise brand known for its “Famously Fresh” menu, announced it has signed a franchise development agreement with local entrepreneurs, Divyan Patel, Jeffrey Folckemer, and Drew Van Zante. Details of the agreement include opening five Famous Toastery units in Northeast Florida over the next four years. The first Famous Toastery restaurant will open by the end of 2023.

“We are thrilled to start our journey with Famous Toastery by bringing this hugely successful brunch concept to Northeast Florida,” says Divyan Patel, owner of Famous Toastery in Northeast Florida. “I’ve been involved in foodservice operations for many years, and this is an exciting breakfast and brunch restaurant model that offers incredible food and beverages, unrivaled customer service and a memorable guest experience to all ages and taste preferences.”

“We welcome Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew to our franchise family and look forward to them building the brand in Northeast Florida, and becoming a mainstay in the community for years to come,” says Mike Sebazco, president of Famous Toastery. “Franchisees like Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew have joined Famous Toastery because of the continued popularity of brunch amongst consumers and the brand’s healthy profit margins and strong unit economics due to a single shift business concept.”

Today, Famous Toastery operates in three different states, has six locations in development, projects to have 26 locations operating by the end of 2023, as well open five additional locations in 2024. The brand aims to bring brunch, enjoyable hospitality, and community under one roof to other markets in the country with the help new and existing franchise owners. With an emphasis on perfecting classic breakfast and lunch items and injecting fun in beverages, Famous Toastery not only owns brunch, it makes it famous.

Recipe for success: From founding chef to franchisee

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 05:03:00 GMT

DENVER – From crafting and preparing the original recipes that made Toast Cafe a brunch staple in downtown Davidson to playing a pivotal role in franchising the chain now known as Famous Toastery, Julio Heras helped lay the foundation for the success of the local restaurant venture.

Heras, an experienced chef who earned his stripes running kitchens at upscale New York City eateries, was called upon by close friend and Famous Toastery co-founder Brian Burchill nearly two decades ago. With an offer in-hand to be the executive chef at Toast Cafe, Heras packed up his life and headed south to the land of biscuits and gravy.

“I was an executive chef in New York so I already had experience writing menus and setting prices, and the idea was that Brian would run the front of the house and I’d run the back,” Heras said of those early days at Toast Cafe. “We clicked and worked well together as a team, and within six months of opening we had lines out the door and press coming in trying to get the story on these two Yankees who just came down from New York.”

From the outset, Heras and Burchill committed to cooking with fresh ingredients in the mold of their fine-dining background, a decision that helped foster their early success.

“Our customers saw that everything we were using was fresh and they loved it,” Heras said. “The customers were like our family at Toast Cafe. They’d come talk to me while I’m cooking and even make their own cups of coffee. It was great. Good food and good customer service, if you have those things you can be successful.”

The different cuisine took some adjusting to, but for a skilled chef like Heras, it was only a matter of time before he had mastered the staples of a southern breakfast.

“I had never cooked grits,” he said with a laugh. “It was fine, but it just took some time to fine-tune those recipes. I got them fine-tuned the right way, with the right amount of butter and the right this and that, and they became not just grits but good grits. It’s not instant grits, we use stone-ground grits that we cook for about an hour-and-a-half and people love that stuff.”

While the menu has expanded significantly over the years, many of the initial items created by Heras at the outset remain customer favorites. Those offerings that have stood the test of time include the strawberry cream cheese french toast, California benedict and the left coast B.L.T.