Famous Toastery Hires Eric Gustafsson as New Vice President of Franchise Development

Famous Toastery, the 25-plus unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, has announced the addition of Eric Gustafsson to its executive team as Vice President of Franchise Development. Gustafsson will play an instrumental role in supporting incoming franchise owners as the brand moves closer to achieving its goal of reaching 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024. 

Gustafsson brings many years of experience in the restaurant and franchising industries. Most recently, Gustafsson worked as Director of Business Development for REEF, a global ghost kitchen technology company with 400 operations throughout the world. Prior to that, Gustafsson worked as a franchise business consultant with Goddard Systems, Inc., as well as an area director for both Jerry’s Subs & Pizza and Hurricane Grill & Wings. Gustafsson also has experience on the franchisee level as an owner of Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids and Dryer Vent Wizard International.

“My background is in everything franchising,” said Gustafsson. “It goes all the way back to high school — my parents were master franchisees in Quiznos. I started helping them with quality checks on franchisees and grand openings, and that led to a career in franchising. I’ve overseen everything from operations for private preschool franchises to development for full-service dining restaurants. I’ve sold franchises, offered operational consulting, oversaw profitability coaching for franchisees, and handled a little marketing.”

Looking for a new opportunity, Gustafsson was pointed toward the Famous Toastery team through a connection with Michael Mabry, who became President of the breakfast, brunch and lunch brand late last year. 

“I had worked with Michael previously and we had a great relationship,” said Gustafsson. “I knew Michael had joined Famous Toastery, and I learned about the opportunity. I came out to Charlotte, tasted the food, met the founders and it started to become really concrete for me. I knew it’d be a great chance to join a franchise brand on the verge of serious growth.”

With his in-depth franchising experience, Gustafsson says he could see several differentiators that made Famous Toastery stand out as a franchise opportunity in the better breakfast segment. 

“The menu is a strong offering, with freshly-prepared, never frozen, high-quality food,” said Gustafsson. “It is also an underserved franchise market — there are some older brands out there, but they are tired and they are serving a different clientele. We are tailored to the younger crowd. We also serve alcohol, which is unique in the breakfast space. There are a lot of opportunities for Famous Toastery to grow and capture market share.”

Gustafsson was also drawn to Famous Toastery’s unique commitment to encouraging its franchisees to “be famous” in their community by becoming beloved neighborhood restaurants. 

“I could feel that community-driven approach from the first time I entered the restaurant,” said Gustafsson. “Famous Toastery is a place where you will run into your neighbor, your accountant, your barber. You can see everyone in the community gather in the same spot to enjoy a tasty breakfast or lunch. Those things really help create a strong brand identity.”

In his role as Vice President of Franchise Development, Gustafsson will help lead the brand’s expansion efforts as it aims to close out the Carolinas and further expand into Virginia and Tennessee. The 26-unit restaurant franchise, having made it through the pandemic without sacrificing quality, is now preparing for more growth into new territories. 

“Famous Toastery is in the early stages, with a good base of franchisees and a strong portfolio,” said Gustafsson. “Now, we are going to put the systems and automation in place to crank up the franchise sales and develop through the Southeast and beyond. My goal is to generate more qualified leads and work them through the entire onboarding process. I don’t see this job as a sales job — it is really educational. You want to make sure you provide enough info and educate a candidate on why they are a good fit for Famous Toastery. Prospects have the opportunity to join a strong brand with a good support system. They are part of a family, not just another store.”

Mabry is confident that Gustafsson’s addition to the leadership team will help fuel the brand’s success as it grows across the country with the goal of selling eight to 10 deals in 2022 and opening four to six restaurants next year. Looking long-term into 2024, Maynard and his team is aiming to have 50 open restaurants.

“With the strong foundation we already have and the growing team coming in, the time has never been better to join the Famous Toastery family,” said Maynard. “Expert guidance from franchising industry veterans like Eric will help us find qualified and passionate candidates who are interested in leveraging a pandemic-resistant business model and opening a beloved neighborhood establishment in their local market.”

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.