How Two Educators Turned to the Restaurant Business with Famous Toastery to Transition into Their Second Act Careers
Although they may be trained and experienced educators first and foremost, Cindy Stone will tell you that she and her husband Peter both have previous experience in the restaurant industry.
Cindy worked at McDonald’s and Quincy’s Family Steakhouse in the past, and Peter worked in the management department at Spartan Foods of America, a national food manufacturer, for roughly five years.
And now, after some time away from the industry, the Stones are ready to jump back in by opening Greenville’s first Famous Toastery better breakfast and lunch location this summer.
“One of the reasons we decided to open is because we noticed how involved all of the Famous Toastery locations are in the community. They’re frequently holding fundraisers and actively helping those around them, which is something we want to be a part of,” Cindy says. “Many of them hold ‘breakfast for dinner’ events, with part of the proceeds going to local schools or charities. So that was one of the things that sold us on the opportunity.”
Famous Toastery’s involvement in the community was a big draw for Cindy due to her passion for giving back to the community herself. Before committing her time and energy to opening a new restaurant, Cindy was a teacher at nearby Northwood Middle School for 26 years before retiring. Peter’s career also took him down the education path, as he currently works at Spartanburg Community College.
As the old saying goes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Cindy and Peter’s daughter is a teacher in Lexington, Kentucky and their son is a math and engineering teacher who moved back to help with the restaurant.
“Our family has wonderful ties to this community,” Cindy says. “Both of our children attended Northwood Middle School, where I also taught. The school system and the people here are absolutely terrific, and they’ve really laid the groundwork for our family and our success.”
Continuing to build on that groundwork in Greenville is what Cindy and Peter have their sights set on. After hearing about Famous Toastery from Cindy’s sister and brother-in-law, they knew the foundation for success was already in place with the better breakfast and lunch franchise.
“We checked out some of the restaurants in the Charlotte area before reaching out to ask about the franchise opportunity,” Cindy says. “The corporate team was helpful and answered all of our questions, running us through every step of the franchising and opening process.”
Cindy then learned about Famous Toastery’s impeccable service and customer treatment where ‘every server is your server,’ and she was immediately on board. Cindy says quality service and fresh made-to-order dishes is something Famous Toastery prides itself on, which aligns with her personal beliefs in running a successful business.
“The processes are in place and the high standards are there,” Cindy says. “Finding a great location right in the heart of downtown Greenville in Poinsett Plaza is a perfect place to launch this business.”
Cindy and Peter’s opening is just one of many on the horizon for Famous Toastery. Since the original location in Huntersville, North Carolina opened its doors back in 2005, the restaurant has expanded all over the country, with more than 20 locations currently open and 20 more in the pipeline.
Famous Toastery will continue searching for franchisees like Cindy and Peter Stone who embrace the restaurant’s culture and model as the brand expands across the country.
“The experience has been extremely positive,” says Cindy. “We looked at all of our options and asked all the right questions. We knew this was a perfect fit from the beginning.”