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

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

Becoming a Breakfast Chain’s First Ever Franchisee

April 25, 2024
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

April 25, 2024
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.

Famous Toastery Signs Deal to Grow in Northeast Florida

April 22, 2024
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.
A white plate topped with a pizza and bacon on a table.

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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…
A brick building with a sign that says famous toastles

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

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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…

Famous Toastery's Flagship Location Reopens with a New Look

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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…
A man is standing in front of a sign that says famous toastery.

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

April 22, 2024
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…
A man and a woman are standing in front of a famous toastery sign.

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

April 22, 2024
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,…

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

April 22, 2024
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…
A table topped with plates of food and drinks.

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

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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…
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