The Second Most Important Meal of the Day

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but in the restaurant world, the more meals you can serve, the better.

Famous Toastery has made its name in the franchise industry as a purveyor of premium breakfast dishes, but it’s also becoming known far and wide for equally delicious lunch options.

“We have, believe it or not, won awards for our burgers and salads, including best lunch in Charlotte, N.C.,” said Robert Maynard, co-founder and chief executive of Famous Toastery. “We have some incredible sandwiches and wraps. Just like our breakfast, it’s all made from scratch that day.”

But what really sets something like a Famous Toastery salad apart from the competition? I mean, it’s all just lettuce, right?

“When you get the competition’s salads, they taste like … like the people who made them just don’t care,” he said. “Ours don’t just taste great, they look great. And we make our own salad dressing. It’s those little things, going above and beyond, that really make a difference.”

Throw in delicious daily specials and you’ve got a recipe for success.

“We’re also kind of a healthy alternative,” Maynard said. “We’re the kind of concept you can eat at four times a week. There are a lot of customers who are coming in every single day. It’s not like Mexican or pizza or wings – if you eat wings every day, it’s not going to be good for you and you’re not going to feel good about life.”

While the Famous Toastery menu is streamlined to simplify and save money, it also appeals to a wide swath of the dining public.

“You’ve got your meat loaf and pulled pork sandwiches, and then you’ve got your tofu salads,” Maynard explained. “There really is something for everyone without having a huge, complicated menu.”

The breakfast concept naturally lends itself to repeat business. People who would avoid a burrito every day for lunch have no qualms about eating the same egg dish each morning. And once customers are in the door for breakfast, getting them to come back for lunch isn’t a struggle, according to Maynard.

“One Famous Toastery location does dinner in addition to breakfast and lunch,” he said. “There was one group of women who would come for all three meals every week. They would do breakfast and lunch every day and then dinner on Monday, Friday and Saturday. We have a lot of customers like that – they feel good about coming here for multiple meals a week.”