Why Franchise Prospects Should Choose Famous Toastery Over the Competition

Since launching its franchising opportunity in 2013, Famous Toastery has established itself as a leader in the better breakfast and lunch segment. With nearly 30 locations in the Southeast, the “toastery with the mostery” continues to maintain its strong momentum and surpass the competition. Recently, the franchise was featured on Restaurant Business magazine’s “Future 50,” an article highlighting the nation’s 50 fastest-growing chain restaurants.

When it comes to the breakfast category competitors — such as First Watch, Another Broken Egg, Broken Yolk Cafe and Jimmy's Eggs — Famous Toastery sets itself apart, both from a consumer angle and a franchising perspective.

Founded in North Carolina in 2005 by Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard, the Famous Toastery brand has always strived to create a lively atmosphere where friends and family can come together for a good meal. Over the years, the duo has worked to take the breakfast game to the next level with a commitment to food that is decadent and nutritious, uncompromisingly fresh and served quickly.

Brand identity

Since its inception, the Famous Toastery brand has embodied what better-breakfast can and should mean within the saturated restaurant industry, both when it comes to customer service and food quality. “Our service model, ‘Every Server is Your Server,’ means that everybody who is working at the restaurant is serving everybody sitting down — it is a team effort,” said Maynard. “We also make fresh food every day, which not everyone in the space does.”

Maynard notes that this commitment to quality in every aspect of the restaurant experience creates a different atmosphere than many other better breakfast chains. “I’ve said it before, but Famous Toastery is truly the antithesis of ‘the greasy spoon,’” said Maynard. “Even our maple syrup is served warm. That is the reason customers continuously choose Famous Toastery as their go-to breakfast spot.”

For prospects that really want to get into the restaurant business, Maynard notes that there are many advantages to choosing Famous Toastery. “For one, the lifestyle benefits are unparalleled: Operators can be home every day by 4 p.m.

, which is rare in the restaurant business,” he said. “Plus, our level of quality is unique not only for the consumer, but also for the franchise owner. Franchisees can be proud to open a Famous Toastery restaurant, as it is really the next frontier of food.

As opposed to the competition, Famous Toastery is not as interested in cutting an extra point off food costs just to make a little extra money.”

Competitive advantages

In addition to a business model owners can be proud of, Maynard notes that the breakfast category lends itself to a habitual customer base. “The people who work in our stores usually live in the area, so franchisees become ingrained in their community,” he said. “While some of our competitors are more focused on the bottom line, we work hard to ensure that franchise owners can create a community at their restaurants, which by default creates recurring revenue, while also promoting a better, more friendly atmosphere.”

It is no secret that the pandemic has been particularly tough on the restaurant industry. While many competitors have been dealing with closures, Famous Toastery has actually doubled down on growth during this time. During the crisis, the breakfast brand restarted its franchising program and has since received inquiries from franchise candidates to join the system. In fact, three corporate stores have even opened since the onset of COVID-19.

When it comes to COVID-19 response, Maynard says that the Famous Toastery was ahead of the curve. “We have over 100,000 people who follow us on Facebook, so before every restaurant brand was communicating with their customers about increased sanitation practices, we were already deep in that conversation,” he said.

On top of providing health and safety guidance for their franchisees, the corporate team initiated a new point of sale (POS) system to permit online ordering for their customers. “Our team predicted that online ordering would play a big role in the subsequent months,” Maynard said. “We were already in the development process of different online ordering programs for our franchisees; it turns out we had to make a decision earlier than we anticipated, but it paid off in the long run.

Our POS system turned out really well, and I can’t tell you how happy we’ve been with the results. The team worked day and night to make this happen.”

Aside from their new POS system, the breakfast brand’s team also took steps to support franchisees financially to help ensure their success. Maynard said they forgave royalties at the beginning of the pandemic and franchisees were able to utilize funds from the Paycheck Protection Program. With this help, franchisees have been able to stay afloat, even at the height of COVID-19.

Although the restaurant industry is likely to see continued hard times during the pandemic, Famous Toastery seems to be on a path to further success. With the versatility of the franchise model, the unparalleled consumer offering and the passion from its franchisees, it is no wonder that Famous Toastery continues to be the concept of choice for entrepreneurs entering the breakfast segment.