FAMOUSLY FEATURED

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.

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, 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.

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…

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…