A Toast to Famous Toastery: Better Breakfast Concept Begins Franchising Due to Growing Demand

In their time as actors and musicians in New York City, Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard made a ritual of home-cooked omelets made from scratch in the company of good friends.

Their passion for fresh-made food and an appreciation for the warmth of home inspired the duo in 2005 to open Toast Cafe (now rebranded to Famous Toastery and shortened to simply Toast) – a gourmet better-breakfast concept. With their focus on creating a better breakfast dining experience, the now-former entertainers have a hit on their hands.

Toast has since expanded to three locations in North Carolina, including restaurants in Davidson, Dilworth and Ballantyne. In response to growing customer support and demand for more, Burchill and Maynard have decided to add franchising to the menu.

“Our simple philosophy about breakfast is that dining out is an event and should be treated as such. That has really helped us grow our brand into something greater than anything we could have hoped for,” Burchill said. “Our appreciation for presentation that was so critical in the entertainment business has rubbed off on our development of Toast. We love what we do, and having the opportunity to bring great culinary dishes in an inviting atmosphere to new neighborhoods is truly gratifying and exciting. “

Fast friends since the age of seven, Burchill and Maynard opened their first Toast location after seeking out breakfast options and coming up short. The self-proclaimed breakfast aficionados, who often eat omelets for dinner, collaborated to create a concept that fuses fantastic food with great presentation.

After opening in Huntsville, North Carolina, and ultimately moving to a larger storefront in nearby Davidson, the Toast brand took off. They duo opened additional locations in 2008 and 2011. As each of the three locations became busier, Burchill and Maynard now have turned to franchising to grow the concept on a national scale. Toast has infused new life into a sector of the food industry that had plateaued, and have carved a niche for investors in the, better-breakfast segment.

“Toast is a concept that has caught on in the communities that we serve,” Maynard said. “With our imaginative menu – prepared with fresh ingredients and served in an energetic setting – we’ve experienced high demand for our food and overall concept. We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our patrons, and franchising is the best path for us to bring our signature food and originality to more southeastern states.”

Brunch trends have been on the upswing, but the market remains relatively undeveloped, affording potential franchisees huge growth opportunities. Toast’s current goal is to open five locations by year-end, and will keep expanding and opening restaurants as long as the franchises are profitable.

Territories in the Carolinas and northeastern United States have been the focus of present development. However, Toast aims to scale into a nationally known brand without sacrificing its one-of-a-kind dining experience.

With a franchise fee of $35,000, Toast is positioned for healthy growth and expansion, ensuring hands-on assistance for new franchisees. Operational support includes site selection, developmental assistance, lease negotiations, restaurant design and full marketing resources.

“Like our customers, franchisees are our family,” Maynard said. “Our ultimate objective with franchising is to ensure franchisee profitability, and we will achieve that by offering ample support for our future franchisees and providing the necessary foundation and resources for success and prosperity.”

Among a sea of factory-produced pancakes and generic dishes that dot the current breakfast landscape, Toast has been able to break through the clutter to offer customers, and now franchisees, a true choice.

“Breakfast should be social, and people come to Toast to be a part of it – to hear the noises, to see the waiters and to enjoy the quality food prepared for them with great care,” Burchill said. “That experience is something that you don’t get consistently elsewhere, and we’re thrilled about what the future holds, both for our future franchisees and the Toast brand.”