Famous Toastery Wraps Up First Half of 2022 with a “Be Famous” Attitude

Famous Toastery, the 25-plus unit better breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise, is on the cusp of major franchise growth, embarking on an ambitious plan to reach 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024. So far in 2022, Famous Toastery has taken significant strides toward achieving that goal, laying down the infrastructure and business model that will encourage franchisees to “be famous” as the brand reaches new markets across the country. 

“As we look at the first two quarters of 2022, we are really looking at everything through the ‘be famous’ lens,” said Famous Toastery President Michael Mabry. “That is really what has propelled us. The most important thing is encouraging the ‘be famous’ attitude, whether it be on the leadership, franchisee, unit or customer level. That mindset is alive and well, and we will continue to drive that home for the rest of the year.” 

With a beloved offering, Famous Toastery franchisees quickly become locally famous as pillars of their communities, providing not only uncompromisingly fresh and decadent meals, but a hub for friends, families and neighbors to come together. And in a world where everyone is trying to connect following the pandemic, the demand for community-driven and delicious restaurant experiences is stronger than ever. As a result, Famous Toastery has seen its year-over-year sales rise by over 30% in 2022. 

“The breakfast segment is booming as customers look for a place to enjoy fresh food with loved ones in a low-stress atmosphere,” said CEO and Founder Robert Maynard. “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. It is an exciting time to be in casual dining and the breakfast industry.”

On the consumer side, Mabry says the brand continues to adapt in order to keep those customers satisfied and stand out in the booming segment. For example, the brand is in the process of testing a new menu layout, including updated colors and a refreshed design. “We have had great feedback from the consumer so far,” he said. “As we go into Q3 and Q4, we are also in the process of renegotiating our broad line distributor to strengthen our costs of goods and commodities at the unit level.”

Famous Toastery has also been rolling out new menu items, created from feedback taken by customers, including a protein power bowl, shrimp and grits and a partnership with Abby’s Better Nut Butter. 

In addition to record-breaking sales, the first half of this year also saw Famous Toastery reaching new levels of franchisee support, particularly through the growth of its leadership team. Lorna Martinez has taken over as the brand’s Director of Marketing, for example, and Jude Colangelo joined the Famous Toastery team as the brand’s CFO. Eric Gustafsson joined as Vice President of Franchise Development and Joe Gillie came on as Vice President of Operations. 

“This is a people business, and we need to have the highest level of people in place to execute our goal,” said Maynard. “We’ve gone all-in on people and process so we can get franchisees the support, help and direction they need as the brand is starting to grow rapidly. We know what we’ve done right and what we’ve done wrong in the past, and putting the right team in place will help us expand with new initiatives and ideas. We are clearly on track to double in size, but it takes a lot of work and time to open those stores. Having the right people in place to support franchisees every step of the way is so important for our business moving forward.”

For example, as part of the brand’s “Be Famous” approach, the team is now working on emphasizing a‘“Famously Fresh” consumer offering across its system. “We believe in the power of great food, made famously fresh every day,” said Mabry. “Our scratch kitchen allows us to serve you something that's famously yours.”

Another example of a new growth initiative, Famous Toastery spent the first half of 2022 revamping its online presence, including an updated franchise development website. “We want to better convey who we are and what we want to accomplish when it comes to development,” said Mabry. “We know we have the strongest better breakfast brand in the Carolinas, and it is time to double down on that and start to attract those individuals who want to come along and be famous with us.”

Looking to the back half of the year and beyond, the Famous Toastery team aims to have 50 locations open by the end of 2024. Five to seven of those deals will be in North Carolina, and the rest in South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Florida. 

“We are ready to ramp up our expansion significantly, but the ultimate mission right now is to find the right partners who can come in and help us grow at the unit level,” said Mabry. “Wrapping up the first half of 2022, we believe the sum of our parts is greater than all individual pieces. Each of the new initiatives and strategies we launched at the start of this year are complimenting our ultimate goal — to be famous.”

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.