A Day in the Life of a Famous Toastery Franchisee

Stacy White opened her first Famous Toastery in Mooresville, North Carolina in 2015, followed by a second location in the same town a few years later. Today, White is a perfect example of how Famous Toastery franchisees spend their days making the 25-plus better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise “famous” in the communities they serve.

Before investing in the better breakfast concept, White and her husband were both educators who taught for nearly three decades at nearby grade schools. During this time, White waited tables to supplement her teaching salary, taking a side job as a waitress at a Famous Toastery, where she learned the ins and outs of the restaurant industry. Working at that original Famous Toastery restaurant family affair, as White’s children and son-in-law got jobs at the growing brand.

Looking toward retirement, White and her husband hoped to shift out of their busy teaching careers and pursue a new venture. With a shortened schedule of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and an opportunity within the booming better breakfast segment, the breakfast and lunch franchise felt like a perfect fit.

“I had a lot of experience working with restaurants, and I loved the Famous Toastery business model,” said White. “I had always wanted to start my own fine-dining restaurant, but after working at Famous Toastery, the hours were so attractive and having our evenings available was a huge benefit.”

In addition, White says the family decided to go the franchising route because they knew they could tap into established brand recognition, a proven menu and solid support infrastructure. “We didn't have to start from scratch,” she said. “We felt a lot more comfortable knowing that the concept had already worked. They had the blueprint, we just went with it and grew.”

So, what does a day in the life of a Famous Toastery franchise owner like White look like?

“I open the store at 6 o’clock in the morning, go through the kitchen, make sure everything is set and then start letting in customers,” she said. “From there, I am busing tables, running food, and seating people. I want to make sure people have the best customer service possible. If my staff is busy, I jump on. I am very hands-on, and I’ve always been in the store, pretty much seven days a week. This is a hobby to me, not work. I don’t feel stressed, I am passionate about it and I absolutely love it.”

White says that commitment to being in the store day in and day out is essential for her as a Famous Toastery owner. She understands that community involvement is a big driver behind the business, and she is happy to be the face of the beloved neighborhood establishment.

“The relationships with customers are what I love most about this franchise,” White said. “I enjoy coming in and talking to the same people every day. By being here every day, I get the opportunity to touch more tables and meet more people. I get to build more relationships and bring more customers back on a regular basis.”

White also spends her days focused on her staff, she says. “I love my kitchen — my front-of-the-house staff and my kitchen staff have been with me almost seven years, so we all take care of each other,” she said. “We are one big family — I’m ‘mom’ in the kitchen.”

And White notes that the staff is key to the success of the restaurant. “It is important to train staff to communicate with customers to understand their specific needs,” she said. “We have been very successful, and it has worked very well for us, but it really requires extensive training to pull off. In addition, we have been very fortunate to be the leading breakfast place in town, which means all of our servers know everyone that comes in the store. That relationship can only happen because ‘every server is your server.’”

From the initial onboarding to long after the grand opening, Famous Toastery provides franchisees with the support and training needed to establish a successful business in their local community. But White says the beauty of the Famous Toastery model is that once everything is in place, growth will happen naturally.

“Today, I really don’t have to talk to the corporate team very much, which is a testament to the strength of the business model and the support that is in place,” said White. “I just have to follow the model and I can continue growing. That is my plan right now.”

Now, the Famous Toastery team is looking for passionate and community-driven entrepreneurs like White to reach 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024, with the bulk of that development planned for the Carolinas.

“Our franchisees like Stacy White make Famous Toastery famous, not vice versa,” said Michael Mabry, Famous Toastery’s President. “Without our franchisees, we don’t have a brand. We really want to be famous for having the best franchisees out in the marketplace. This is a locally owned and operated business. The idea that the franchisees are already famous in their markets — famous with their guests, famous with their team members — that puts the ‘famous’ in Famous Toastery.”

The cost to open a Famous Toastery franchise ranges from $575,500 to $999,500 including a franchise fee starting at $45,000. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit www.bestbreakfastfranchise.com.