As heightened levels of consumer demand continue to fuel the growing breakfast trend, more brands are expected to enter the increasingly popular segment of the restaurant industry. But despite all of that competition, Famous Toastery—the nation’s leading better breakfast franchise—consistently stands out as the brand to beat. In fact, it was ranked as one of the top six growing franchises by Technomic, a Chicago-based food industry consulting and research firm, back in 2016—and it’s lived up to that accolade ever since.
What separates Famous Toastery from other restaurants in the space is its commitment to quality food and service. Customers at each of the brand’s restaurants don’t need to track down a specific server to get the check or another cup of coffee—every server is there to enhance their overall experience. And Famous Toastery’s food is made in-house every single day. The brand even flies fresh lobster to its locations daily to ensure that its standards for quality are being met across its entire franchise system.
“Famous Toastery ultimately made our list because it was different than anything else in the marketplace. In addition to placing an emphasis on the quality of food and customer service, the brand is selling more units and growing at a rapid rate,” said Darren Tristano, President of Technomic. “The breakfast space has incredible momentum behind it right now. It’s always been underserved in the past because consumers typically ate at home or skipped the meal all together. But now that breakfast has become an all-day option at both sit down and fast food restaurants, the AM eatery format is catching on among business owners.”
But better breakfast isn’t the only thing helping Famous Toastery dominate the industry—the brand has become an important source for job creation in every community it reaches. According to Robert Maynard, Famous Toastery’s CEO and founder, the brand adds more than 35 jobs per restaurant, serving as an important supporter of local economies.
“Whenever we come into a community, we’re providing hundreds of people with the opportunity to finally have the breakfast and lunch experience that they’re craving. More than that, however, Famous Toastery becomes an important anchor in the community, too,” Maynard said. “We’re just as proud of our commitment to providing a meal that guests can feel good about as we are about the fact that we’re creating meaningful, satisfying jobs.”
Because Famous Toastery touts itself as a lifestyle brand, the jobs that each location creates are much more than a typical restaurant industry gig. Famous Toastery’s business model promises the same, high quick-service restaurant returns without the long hours (their stores are open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.). This increases their bottom line—franchisees and employees alike find the shortened hours appealing and conducive to the growing demand for a better work-life balance. Ultimately, this helps boost the brand’s unit-level economics. To date, Famous Toastery boasts nearly $1.5 million in average unit volume.
“Our hours are very attractive to franchisees and their employees. This is a business opportunity that yields the same volume of sales as a quick-service restaurant that’s open 12-14 hours, but it allows employees a better quality of life—they’re able to wrap up their day and head home to their families by 4 p.m.,” Maynard added.
Now, as Famous Toastery continues to grow throughout the country, Maynard is looking to introduce his brunch model and lifestyle brand to more communities than ever before—bringing better meals and better jobs right along with it.