The Multiple Benefits of Franchising with Famous Toastery

Famous Toastery, the 25-plus unit, North Carolina-based breakfast franchise, has made a name for itself by offering the most “famously fresh” breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings in its segment. Since starting in North Carolina in 2005 and franchising in 2013, Famous Toastery has maintained its strong momentum and surpassed the competition with a business model and support infrastructure that encourages franchisees to “be famous.” 

Here are some of the differentiators that make Famous Toastery stand out as a franchise opportunity now

Local Marketing and Community Involvement

Since Famous Toastery is a part of the family-oriented breakfast, lunch and brunch segment, local store marketing is the key to connecting with the community. That is why the marketing team works hard to help franchisees negotiate contacts, design promotional material and more, allowing each local owner to create the best strategy based on that particular market. This strategy is part of the reason why Famous Toastery franchisees are known for becoming locally famous as pillars of their community.

“Our franchisees make Famous Toastery famous, not vice versa,” said Michael Mabry, who joined Famous Toastery’s executive team as President in November 2021. “Without our franchisees, we don’t have a brand. We really want to be famous for having the best franchisees out in the marketplace. This is a locally owned and operated business. The idea that the franchisees are already famous in their markets — famous with their guests, famous with their team members — that puts the ‘famous’ in Famous Toastery.”

This community-driven business model is ideal for those entrepreneurs who want to do more than just open a successful business — they want to give back by creating a beloved neighborhood establishment.

“Famous Toastery is a community gathering place,” said Famous Toastery VP of Franchise Development Eric Gustafsson. “People go there to dine and see each other, and we really lean into that community aspect, with charitable events, donations and more. Every franchisee has at least one regular who comes in every day, sits down with a smile and orders the same thing. We love hearing stories like that.”

In-Depth Support and Technology

From the initial onboarding to long after the grand opening, Famous Toastery also provides franchisees with the support and training needed to establish a successful business in their local community. 

One major component of that infrastructure is technology. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the franchise’s corporate team quickly pivoted to adjust to a dramatically altered restaurant landscape. On top of providing health and safety guidelines for their franchisees, the corporate team initiated a new point of sale (POS) system to offer online ordering to their customers in only four days. 

Gustafsson says the Famous Toastery team has also been building out its technology suite over the past year, bolstering the consumer website and digital marketing materials. The brand also recently teamed up with a real estate technology partner to leverage its sophisticated platform and analyze ideal sites for future restaurants. 

“We can take a site and compare it to other successful Famous Toastery sites,” said Gustafsson. “We look at the consumer demographics for all existing locations and make sure to implement our future growth strategy through that lens so we can position incoming owners for success.”

Simple Business Model

The Famous Toastery franchise is designed to give franchise owners the best of both worlds: a business with a track record for growth in a high-demand market segment and a lifestyle that allows for flexibility and family time. With a menu that only includes breakfast and lunch fare, Famous Toastery’s operating hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“The business model is very conducive to a family-oriented lifestyle,” said Gustafsson. “Many of our franchisees are home every night for dinner, which is not very common in the restaurant industry. We are also continuing to improve on the simplicity of the model, whether that be through building out our book of vendors or perfecting our operational procedures. We want to make the business as simple as possible so franchisees can focus on serving the best possible experience for their customers.”

Famous Toastery operates on a proven franchise model that has been tested and refined over the last 15 years, leading to impressive results. In conjunction with real estate assistance, an extensive new owner training program and ongoing franchisee support, the brand’s system is structured to bring passionate, motivated business owners success from the moment they open their doors. 

Scalable Investment

Relatively low start-up costs in the full-service restaurant segment coupled with solid unit-level economics make Famous Toastery a lucrative opportunity for prospective franchisees. Famous Toastery has seen its year-over-year sales rise over 30% for its franchised restaurants in 2022, with average gross sales coming in at $1,316,080* for reporting franchisees in 2021. 

“We are in the breakfast/lunch business, so our goal is to get a new store open for a price that is affordable and makes sense for generating ROI,” said Mabry. “We don’t want to be building a restaurant space for a million dollars. We want to keep it looking nice, hip and fast but still be economical. Our kitchen is built for speed, maximizing space and costs.” 

Now, with so many benefits available to franchise owners, the Famous Toastery team is looking to reach 50 units — doubling its current footprint — by 2024, with the bulk of that development planned for the Carolinas. 

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. 

*See the full Franchise Disclosure Document Item 19 for full financial reporting.