FSR Magazine: 13 Restaurant Chains That Defied the COVID-19 Odds

In an article praising mid-size chain restaurants, FSR Magazine included Toasted Yolk Cafe, a full-service breakfast and lunch concept with 15 open locations, for its ability to pivot during the pandemic. Founded in 2010 by restaurant industry veterans Chris Milton and Mathew DeMott, Toasted Yolk Cafe offers dishes made with the highest-quality ingredients in a relaxed and comfortable environment.

When the pandemic hit, the brand decided to pivot to off-premise services only. Prior to the pandemic, these services only made up about 6% of the company’s sales, but numbers more than tripled to 20% once COVID-19 hit, and sales stayed steady through the end of 2020.

In March 2021, the brand announced that it was expanding outside its home state of Texas for the first time with locations in Alabama and Georgia. Milton and DeMott hope to open an additional four or five locations later this year and break into the Florida market. In late 2020, the brand opened its lowest-cost franchise location to date in Texas by taking advantage of lower-cost real estate.