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Famous Toastery's Flagship Location Reopens with a New Look

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.

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.
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.
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.
April 22, 2024
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
April 22, 2024
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…
April 22, 2024
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…
A man is standing in front of a sign that says famous toastery.
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.
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,…
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.
April 22, 2024
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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