Famous Toastery Employs New Tactic to Speed up Timeline from Franchisee Signing to Store Opening

Robert Maynard, the co-founder and CEO of Famous Toastery, puts a lot of care into every single franchise location that opens, and for good reason—there’s no other brand doing better-breakfast the way Famous Toastery does. So when it comes to bringing fresh, gourmet meals to more diners throughout the Southeast, Maynard is intent on doing it right. This starts with finding the perfect spot for new Famous Toastery locations to truly thrive.

But Maynard also knows that such due diligence takes time, and from negotiating the price of land to signing a lease, the entire process from site selection to grand opening can take up to one year. That’s why, as Famous Toastery looks to continue its expansion across the Southeast region of the United States, they’re introducing an innovative tactic to get these new locations up and running a little quicker—they’re leasing real estate before a franchisee signs on in order to speed up the development timeline.

“Our team is heavily involved in the franchise process from day one. We want to be extremely helpful in scouting real estate and aiding in negotiations to ensure our franchisees end up in the best possible location,” Maynard said. “Our franchisees are the most important part of the equation—by helping out with the leasing process before a franchisee joins our team, we show them how committed we are to their success.”

According to Maynard, this starts with hunting locations in prime areas, which are generally locations easily accessible for commuters—whether it’s by car or public transportation. Famous Toastery’s sweet spots also include plazas anchored by major grocery stores, in spaces between 3,500 and 3,800 square feet. But standalone restaurants are also an option, Maynard said.

“We don’t look at real estate like others—we look, see, feel and analyze demographics and traffic patterns. When we find the perfect fit, that’s where we land,” Maynard added. “We don’t want to put a franchisee in an inferior location, but we also don’t want them to lose out on a year’s profit because it took so long to get a store up and running. We realized that for some areas, we needed to change the way we approach development to make it a win-win situation for everyone.”

With more than 10 locations already located throughout the Southeast, Famous Toastery has its sights set on continued expansion throughout the region in the years to come. By continuing to lease space ahead of time, Maynard believes growth will come a little bit easier—it shows prospective franchisees just how committed Famous Toastery is to developing in this important market.

“Famous Toastery is a concept that has caught on in the communities that we serve. 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 has proven to be the best path for us to bring our signature food and originality to more Southeastern states,” Maynard said. “Now, by being proactive and taking care of the long site selection and leasing process ahead of time, we can continue to dominate the better breakfast segment through strategic growth in our most important markets.”

To learn more about franchising opportunities with Famous Toastery, click here.