Why Now is the Time to Invest in a Famous Toastery Franchise

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. This year, the Famous Toastery 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 eight to 10 new franchise deals in 2022. Now, community-driven entrepreneurs have a prime opportunity to leverage a pandemic-resistant business model and open a beloved neighborhood establishment in their local market.

Since starting the brand in 2005, Maynard says the company has been a labor of love with a focus on amazing customer service and made-to-order food. “We've stayed true to our mission, guaranteeing that our food is fresh and made in-house every single day,” he said. “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.”

Quality and operations

But that focus on quality doesn’t just apply to the food. “When we use the word ‘quality,’ we are really talking about a premier product,” said Famous Toastery President Michael Mabry. “That can mean having quality franchisees and operations. In order for us to live up to our brand promise, which is to ‘Be Famous,’ we have to be able to put our quality first, which translates throughout the entire brand.”

The brand’s franchisees, who have grown throughout North Carolina since opening in 2005 and franchising is 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. With this approach in place, the Famous Toastery team is looking to further emphasize a business model and support infrastructure that encourages franchisees to “Be Famous.”

“There is an exciting opportunity to become a part of a premier breakfast and lunch brand, and who doesn’t want to be famous? The franchisees are the ones who put famous in Famous Toastery,” said Mabry. “They offer an amazing service and friendly atmosphere, which translates to a famous brand name with our guests.”

Among the biggest advantages to franchising with Famous Toastery are the brand’s flexible lifestyle benefits, Mabry says, where franchisees only need to be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day. Those attractive hours also create the opportunity to make a significant impact in the community.

“The breakfast and lunch segment has been around forever, and what we are seeing is the attractive lifestyle component also opens up the opportunity for community involvement because of lessened time constraints,” said Marby. “Plus, breakfast is a meal of sharing and connection, which means franchisees become deeply integrated with guests' lifestyles and daily habits.”

Former NFL player and coach Justin Griffith is a Famous Toastery franchisee who opened his first location in March 2018 in Uptown Charlotte and is currently scouting real estate for a second location in Harrisburg, which is set to open in Spring 2023. “Because I have small children, I was looking to spend more time at home with my family, and Famous Toastery’s 4:00 p.m. clock-out time was a major draw,” he said. “Plus, the brand already has a strong presence throughout North Carolina, so I knew I could tap into existing brand awareness and demand.”

Market demand and growth

And in a world where everyone is trying to connect amid the pandemic, Mabry says that demand is stronger than ever. “The breakfast segment is booming as customers look for a place to enjoy fresh food with loved ones in a low-stress atmosphere,” he said. “The industry continues to grow quarter after quarter, with more and more people using these restaurants as the hub of their social interactions, whether that be with businesses, churches, families or organizations. It is an exciting time to be in casual dining and the breakfast industry.”

In addition to increased demand, Maynard says the COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in a renewed focus on franchisee support. “We’ve learned several valuable lessons coming out of the pandemic,” he said. “We’ve built out an amazing corporate team, with some serious industry legends running the brand. The level of support we offer is barred none, from operations to marketing, finance and accounting, training and supply chain. We continue to recruit and attract and bring people on the team that not only support current franchisees and their growth but also helps new franchisees enter the system.”

For potential franchisees with a food and beverage, franchise and/or business background, Famous Toastery franchise ownership offers a track record of success, a proven business model, strong support infrastructure and the opportunity for an attractive work-life balance.

“Our ideal franchisee is someone who wants to be a local server and bump into those people they know from soccer games,” said Maynard. “Breakfast is the most habitual meal — people don’t walk into Chiptole five days a week, but they do here. That is why this is a great franchise for people who want to interact with the community as local business owners.”

Looking ahead, Maynard’s vision is to sell eight to 10 deals in 2022 and open four to five restaurants next year. In the longer term, the brand is aiming to have 50 locations open by the end of 2024.

Five to seven of those deals will be in North Carolina, and the rest in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida. “The Carolinas and a few adjoining states will have that base of consumers who 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.”

Overall, Maynard says the strength of Famous Toastery’s well-positioned franchise opportunity all comes down to the execution of a time-tested model. “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,” said Maynard. “Anything can be systematized; franchising is all about making things easier and faster in different ways.

Famous Toastery is truly committed to our core model, where we prepare that fresh, made-to-order style that is so loved. That commitment is what makes us who we are.”