Famous Toastery Franchisees Find Success with a Full Bar; See 10% of Sales Coming from Beverages on Average

Famous Toastery, the 25-plus-unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, is famous for its fresh, made-to-order menu items that keep mouths watering and seats filled. But there’s another aspect of this brand that keeps the doors open: the bar. As the Famous Toastery team continues to prioritize a business model that encourages franchisees to “be famous” in their market, the brand’s full bar experience gives franchisees another opportunity to put the “famous” in Famous Toastery.

How Famous Toastery Creates an Elevated Beverage Program

Each Famous Toastery location features a full bar, which serves a wide variety of brunch cocktails, non-alcoholic beverages and specialty coffees. 

“We offer the brunch classics like Mimosas and Bloody Marys, and we also take it one step further, with Mimosa Flights where people can pick their own juices to discover their favorites,” said Famous Toastery's Director of Marketing Lorna Martinez. “We also have the Ultimate Bloody Mary, which includes shrimp and candied bacon and is a huge hit. Creamsicles, Peach Bellinis, Hawaiian Sunrises, Kiss of the Irish—we really try to have a fun, full-breadth of bar options available for customers so they can always find what they want.”

And for a brand that is known for using all-fresh ingredients, offering seasonal specials and creating top-quality meals from a scratch kitchen, the Famous Toastery bar experience and beverage program is no different.

“Our mimosas are not made with concentrates full of sugar and additives — it is made with fresh-squeezed orange juice to provide that top-quality experience,” said Martinez. “When you are looking at the Ultimate Bloody Mary, it isn't just any bacon, it is candied bacon. The Hawaiian Sunrise has a slice of fresh pineapple. It feels like more than just average bar fare.”

Martinez says franchisees also have the opportunity to customize their drink menu to appeal to the markets they serve. “Our Famous Features are unique items that franchisees come up with or from asking guests what they would like to see,” she said. “We dive into each franchise location, offering off-menu items tailored to the wants and needs of their community. For example, at our Dilworth location, we have a Nurse Ratched drink, and people absolutely love it."

Overall, Martinez says Famous Toastery’s goal is to make customers feel famous by spoiling them with the best quality possible. “We genuinely want our guests to feel famous, and especially with something like a bar, we have all the tools to create the drink that guests want,” said Martinez. “We don’t want guests to come in and feel like they are getting the usual stuff — we want you to feel like this drink is the perfect accompaniment to our menu and high-quality atmosphere. Nothing makes you feel famous like having a couple of mimosas!” 

How the Bar Positions Famous Toastery Franchisees for Success

The brand’s customizable, full bar helps Famous Toastery franchisees stand out in their communities as a “famous” gathering place for get-togethers and family outings. David Arnold, a Famous Toastery franchisee in Roanoke, Virginia, for example, says the bar makes up nearly 10% of his average sales. 

“When people think about brunch, especially on the weekends, they think about mimosas and bloody marys,” said Arnold. “We are one of the only breakfast spots offering that full bar experience. We are here every day to offer those brunch-y drinks, and we use the highest-quality ingredients to bring people in. Nobody else is doing that.

Arnold says the full bar is a big draw for the weekend regulars, which includes groups of people getting together to come in, hang out and have a few drinks. And in a world where everyone is trying to connect amid the pandemic, that demand is stronger than ever. 

“A good portion of our sales come via brunch, and as group get-togethers become more popular than ever following the pandemic, there is no reason customers can’t come into a Famous Toastery seven days a week,” said Famous Toastery President Michael Mabry. “The breakfast segment is booming as customers look for a place to enjoy fresh food with loved ones in a low-stress atmosphere. 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. Whatever experience they are looking for, we ensure they can pair it with a top-quality beverage.”

Now, Mabry says the Famous Toastery team will be making a pointed effort to promote the bar program this year as social events are picking up even more.

“In order for us to live our brand promise, which is to “Be Famous”, we have to be able to put our quality first,” said Mabry. “That translates throughout the entire brand — from the way we support our franchisees with bar sales to the elevated level we bring to our beverage menu. Our goal is for each of our franchise partners to be able to grow their own successes as franchisees by making themselves famous at their location.”

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.