Franchise Updates
GRAND OPENING! HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE OPENS NEW LOCATION
What was special about September 25, 2021? That’s the day Toastique opened its fourth Washington D.C. location, in the DuPont Circle neighborhood! That’s right, our nation’s capital city now has four outlets of the healthy restaurant franchise that’s redefining brunch. The newest location is at 1899 N St NW and has already started getting rave reviews The DuPont Circle location joins other D.C.-area Toastique locations in the Wharf, Old Town Alexandria, and Navy Yard neighborhoods, as well as a new location in Stone Harbor, NJ, which opened this past summer. In addition to the Toastique cafés already in operation, quite a few more are scheduled to open their doors in 2022, in markets such as Las Vegas, Denver, Austin, and Orlando! TRIUMPH AMID A CHALLENGING YEAR There are several reasons why this news is special. To begin with, the restaurant industry has been through one of its most challenging periods over the past year and a half. Unfortunately, many established names have had to suspend their operations or shut down permanently. Customers have been naturally worried about eating out and spending time in crowded places. Those restaurants that couldn’t accommodate these health concerns were in trouble as the uncertainty over social distancing refused to go away. In such difficult circumstances, where it’s exceedingly difficult for restaurants to stay open, here’s a brand that’s opening outlets regularly! How is Toastique doing it? Because this isn’t just another restaurant. This isn’t another brunch place. This is a healthy restaurant franchise that’s markedly different from the way others serve brunch. This isn’t fast food that compromises a family’s health. This is healthy fast-casual food suited for health-conscious customers who are growing in numbers every day. TAKING TOAST TO NEW HEIGHTS The second reason for the brand’s phenomenal growth is that what you find at Toastique is something you won’t find anywhere else. Our Founder, Brianna Keefe, didn’t want to roll out fast food that customers were already familiar with. She took a classic staple of every American household, good old toast, and reimagined it. Toastique has elevated toast from the sidelines and recreated it as a healthy power meal. The gourmet toasts at this healthy restaurant franchise deliver a convenient and wholesome meal that no other fast-casual restaurant has been able to deliver. But it’s not just gourmet toast that the brand is known for. Our loyal customers love our açaí bowls and cold-pressed juices, and we’ve just rolled out a new espresso bar menu in select locations (more on that in a minute!) Toastique is designed for those customers who have active and healthy lifestyles. These are individuals who know that traditional fast-food restaurants are about speed and not health. While this group was growing even before the pandemic, the past 18 months or so have added more people to this consumer group. NOT JUST TOAST- A WORK OF ART! Another reason why Toastique has grown so remarkably well is that it combines health with artistry. As our customers have found out, everything from the food presentation to interior decor has been designed for an elevated customer experience. In other words, Toastique is highly Instagrammable! How do we know that? Well, without the services of any advertising or digital marketing agency the brand has been consistently growing and engaging with our audiences on Instagram.In a world where everyone’s after social media influencers, it’s Toastique’s customers who have been sharing the gourmet toasts and cold-pressed juices on social media. In that sense, our customers are our influencers. CONVENIENCE AND SCALABILITY Toastique’s delivery model is also exceptionally customer-friendly. People can dine in, take their gourmet toasts, bowls, and juices with them, or get them delivered. This flexibility was extremely convenient for customers during the pandemic. The brand also has a lean business model with several revenue streams. The objective is to enable a Franchise Owner to get started without incurring unnecessary expenses. The Toastique executive team will share all the best practices on how to structure the outlet to create the right ambiance without losing the unique brand identity. The multiple revenue streams ensure that Franchise Owners aren’t tied to any one source. Other than dine-in, grab-and-go, and delivery, Toastique also offers catering opportunities. This makes this healthy restaurant franchise concept highly scalable in a neighborhood. PERSONALIZED FRANCHISE SUPPORT Finally, Brianna and the leadership team are always there to help Franchise Owners every step of the way. All Franchise Owners are given adequate training on not just the product but also on hiring and training their staff. The corporate team also ensures that Franchise Owners can find stable vendors to depend upon for quality locally grown ingredients. This support has been highly helpful for the brand’s Franchise Owners, especially in the initial months. That’s why the brand’s Franchise Owners want to open more outlets, which is a stellar endorsement for Brianna and the team. With several new Owners slated to open multiple locations in their communities in 2022, the Toastique footprint is quickly growing across the U.S.! One of the most special features about the new DuPont Circle location is that this is the first Toastique to feature an espresso bar. If it continues to perform as well as it has so far, the espresso bar may become a regular part of the Toastique menu in all locations. Our Franchise Owners love being on the ground floor of a new healthy restaurant franchise and working alongside the Toastique Executive Team to help build our brand by testing out new ideas and products. Contributing opinions and suggestions for new products is just another way that our Owners are helping to shape the Toastique healthy restaurant franchise experience! A HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE FOR THE FUTURE So, how has the new location in the DuPont Circle neighborhood performed so far? Glad you asked! After just two weeks of operation, the latest Toastique outlet had sold 886 toasts, 595 smoothies, 394 açaí bowls, 595 juices, and 429 espresso drinks. The newest kid on the block has already made a mark! What makes it special is that this tremendous response was achieved with hardly any marketing help. Our existing customers did the job for us! Toastique healthy food franchise fans who already love our other Washington, D.C. locations were excited to turn out and visit our newest café, telling their friends, colleagues, and family members in the process! If you’re an entrepreneur looking to start something in the fast-casual restaurant sector, this is your time to break the mold and open a healthy food franchise like Toastique. Customers are craving healthy options and Toastique fills the largely unmet need for nutritious food on the go. Our business model has been designed to get Franchise Owners to be stable and profitable as early as possible and to keep them that way no matter what curveballs get thrown their way. Our success during the COVID-19 shutdowns is a testament to how easy-to-pivot our franchise model is, and how simple it is for Franchise Owners to operate with limited staff. Click here to start your successful journey with the healthy restaurant franchise that’s winning the hearts of customers and Franchise Owners.
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HEALTHY FOOD FRANCHISE FOUNDER MAKES FORBES’ 30 UNDER 30 LIST!
First, it was the consumers. Then the Franchise Owners caught on. Soon the industry followed suit. Now, one of the most reputed publications on the planet has recognized Brianna Keefe. The Founder of Toastique, the breakfast franchise that’s expanding all over the country, has been featured in the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30! AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB One of the most renowned media companies in the world, Forbes has become synonymous with news on business, entrepreneurship, technology, lifestyle, and investing. With over 100 million visitors exploring their website over six months, it’s the go-to name for credible news across categories. Launched in 2011, the Forbes 30 under 30 is a carefully chosen list of 30 entrepreneurs under the age of 30. These are trailblazers that the company believes have already proven their mettle and are redefining the spaces they operate in. This year’s exclusive club of Forbes 30 under 30, for example, has collectively already raised over $1 billion in funding. A WORTHY MEMBER Brianna’s inclusion in this exceptionally exclusive list shouldn’t surprise anyone who has known her or worked with her. She has made a mark for herself in the restaurant industry for her entrepreneurship and the pathbreaking idea that’s making waves and finding customer acceptance all over the country. She didn’t join a family business or venture into a tired and tested area. She opened a whole new category that offers fast-casual food for health-conscious people. And the business she started, Toastique, the breakfast franchise, has now become a movement with a healthy lifestyle. With every week, more and more Franchise Owners are placing their trust in her. The fact that Brianna Keefe’s just 28 makes the achievement nothing short of incredible. A COMBINATION OF ALL HER PASSIONS Toastique wasn’t just another dream for Brianna. It’s the combination of all her dreams. Since childhood, she had been passionate about food, health, and hospitality. As she says it, she was interested in “clean living in all its forms.” The budding entrepreneur used to make smoothies in high school almost every day. At that time, her dream was to open a “smoothie shack by the beach.” At the James Madison University (JMU), Brianna as a D1 athlete cheerleader soon realized that the existing options in fast food were anything but healthy. They were certainly convenient but not at all wholesome. That’s when she started her experiments with toast, the staple of the classic American breakfast. But Brianna didn’t want to make ordinary toasts. She wanted to see how she could make it nutritious, something that had carbohydrates, healthy fats, and of course, proteins. She soon expanded her original avocado toast to several others while being mindful of the fact that what she came up with had to be easy to carry. In other words, she wasn’t just experimenting with the ingredients. She was also looking for an easy format that would appeal to busy professionals. A MOVEMENT IS BORN Brianna’s passion finally saw fruition when she was walking around the District Wharf, DC’s new waterfront area. It was still under construction but she could see the potential and thought to herself, “This is it.” Toastique, the breakfast franchise that would redefine brunch, was finally born. Of course, the fact that Kyle Izett, her boyfriend, had experience in commercial construction helped her launch the concept. From design to the eventual construction, all it took was 40 days for the first Toastique location to come to life. That lean buildout and the minimal investments it requires is another reason why the brand’s Franchise Owners love its business model. Her love for all things healthy is reflected in the luscious delicacies that are synonymous with Toastique now. More than delicious toasts, the breakfast franchise also serves lip-smacking smoothies along with cold-pressed juices. STUNNING RESPONSE The success of the first location was beyond the wildest dreams of Brianna and Kyle. In its first year of operations, the Wharf location of Toastique generated more than $1 million in sales! What’s stunning about this feat is that the breakfast franchise didn’t use any professional advertising or marketing to generate brand awareness. It was all word-of-mouth from its customers. They did the marketing for Toastique. This spectacular success soon led to the opening of two more locations, one in Alexandria, Virginia, and another in the Navy Yard district. What’s striking about the performance of these Toastique locations is that although they were opened during the worst days of the pandemic, they turned out to be phenomenally profitable. THE BEST IS YET TO COME It’s not just customers who have become believers in Toastique. The response from Franchise Owners has also been extraordinary. This has been extremely gratifying to Brianna and the team since her focus has always been on the collective success of all the entrepreneurs who’re part of the Toastique family. In under three years, Brianna and her team have opened four locations of Toastique. There’s also a sister concern, a salad restaurant called Chopsmith. Toastique has also awarded a whopping 37 new franchise locations to new Franchise Owners across the United States. These will open over the next two years. With a steady increase in the number of daily customers which is now at around 1200, Brianna and her team believe that Toastique will clock close to $7 million in revenue this year. So, what inspires this Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur? “A sense of adrenaline” is how Brianna puts it. As soon as she wakes up, her mind begins to race with excitement about all that she has to get done by the end of the day. CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, according to Brianna. You need to have passion, drive, and commitment. You also need to be hardworking, optimistic, and have a long-term commitment to the community you serve. If you believe you have it, click here to learn more about the franchising opportunities at the breakfast franchise that’s redefining brunch and empowering entrepreneurs.
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START NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION SEASON WITH A HEALTHY FOOD FRANCHISE!
$800 billion! That’s how much the health and wellness sector grew between 1996 and 2016. With the events of the COVID-19 pandemic inspiring more people to eat healthier, we could be looking at $1 trillion or more in the coming years. Interestingly, Americans spend about $900,000 on avocado toasts every month, a massive jump from $17,000 back in 2014. So, the time for investors in the health and wellness sector to ride the wave of health-consciousness is now. Experts argue that health-conscious businesses like Toastique are recession-resilient. Understandably, people are likely to prioritize healthy living even amid an economic downturn. So, expect Toastique and other health-conscious all-natural meal businesses to trend. SO, WHAT IS TOASTIQUE? Toastique is a wellness-focused gourmet café with all-natural smoothies, healthy customizable snacks, and cold-pressed juices. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY WELLNESS-FOCUSED MEALS? We believe that healthy meals should be fun to prepare, attractive to present to customers, and nutrient-packed. That’s what drives us at Toastique, and here are some of our classic meals: All-natural smoothies and cold-pressed juices – These fruit blends and veggies squash are perfect refreshments for your customers. They can order as post-workout treats, morning refreshers, or in-between meal snacks. Customizable gourmet toasts – We take toast preparation to the next level with our gourmet toasts. These in-house snacks feature all-organic ingredients that offer customers healthy nutrients to get them through the day and boost their immunity. SHOULD YOU BECOME A TOASTIQUE FRANCHISE OWNER? 2021 is quickly folding up, and customers cannot help but make resolutions for 2022. Expectedly, health and fitness are taking center stage, which presents Toastique Franchise Owners with the perfect opportunity to make meaningful returns on investment. That’s how Brianna Keefe, the woman behind Toastique, started. Brianna was passionate about creating a healthy grab-and-go all-natural meal, and the culmination was Toastique. Two years after launching, the flagship Toastique made over a million dollars with zero marketing expenses. We now have four locations up and running in Washington, D.C., along with a recently-opened location in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Café construction is underway for all-new Toastique locations in Denver, Austin, Las Vegas, Reno, Orlando, and Balboa Island, California…and it’s only the beginning! We’ve only been franchising since 2020 and have already awarded 24 Toastique locations to 10 new Franchise Owners across the United States. HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD BE PART OF OUR GROWTH: MAKE MONEY The primary goal of any healthy food franchise business is to make money, and Toastique is no exception. After exceeding our initial goal in our original location and doing well in a few other places, we’ve no doubt our branches will make a good return on investment. In 2019, as we mentioned, our sales eclipsed the $1 million mark with zero marketing expenses. Our Franchise Owners remained profitable through 2020 and 2021 despite the pandemic, and we anticipate an even more successful 2022. CREATE MULTIPLE INCOME STREAMS Toastique allows you to diversify and create multiple income streams. You can offer take-outs, home deliveries, dine-in service, and even catering, which means more avenues to make more money. So, the potentials of earning with Toastique are much higher than with a franchise with more limited revenue streams. PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING Like our Founder Brianna Keefe, you can own a Toastique healthy food franchise to become a bonafide health and wellness promoter in your community. Healthy living is a surging trend, and just about everyone wants to make it a part of their New Year’s resolution. So, make it YOUR resolution to serve your community with our all-natural smoothies, gourmet toasts, and juices! LESS OVERHEAD Thanks to our simple operations and small footprint, the ramp-up period for Toastique Franchise Owners is much more swift than for the owner of a typical fast-casual restaurant. You don’t need expensive equipment like an oven or fryer, and you also don’t need an intricate design to set up your business. Our expert construction manager and CFO, Kyle Izett, and his team will guide you accordingly to ensure you have everything you need to get up and running quickly and efficiently. LOW-RISK INVESTMENT For an investment starting at just $280,000, you can invest in a Toastique healthy food franchise and start reaping the financial and emotional rewards from helping your community eat healthier. So, the risk is much smaller than what many franchise businesses face, especially in the restaurant industry! Even better, we choose our locations keenly to ensure our Franchise Owners make meaningful returns on investment. We can help you discern the neighborhoods with the best potential for revenue and traffic in your area so you can have the highest chance for success with your Toastique café. OUR PROMISE We promise a smooth process to help you set up your Toastique in the most prime location. Here’s what we offer our investors: INTENSIVE TRAINING We offer an initial 2-week intensive course on running Toastique and tracking its success. The course equips you with everything you need to start this business. FIELD SUPPORT Our expert construction manager Kyle Izett and his team will offer you the necessary assistance throughout the construction. Our construction team of experts will ensure your overheads are below the marketplace. MARKETING SUPPORT We don’t leave you just after helping you set up the business. We also go a step further to help you make it noticeable and popular on Opening Day and beyond. Our marketing team offers you the necessary assistance to draw traffic to your business. Through our expert online marketers, we’ll help you reach a wider audience. FOLLOW-UPS We don’t stop at offering marketing support. We also provide ongoing support as your business grows by making bi-monthly calls, organizing annual meetings, and sending occasional newsletters. Additionally, we offer seasonal promotions and events as a form of providing ongoing support. Meanwhile, our customer support phone lines are always open 24 hours to provide Franchise Owners with all the necessary assistance when they call. SO, HOW MUCH DOES A TOASTIQUE FRANCHISE COST? Unlike most other franchise businesses, Toastique is not capital-intensive. You can start with an initial investment of $280,750 and pay a franchise fee of $45,000. You will, however, need a liquid capital of $150,000. You can check here to see our investment breakdown, including equipment, furniture, insurance, and initial inventory. Depending on location, you may see a return on your investment in as few as 12-16 months. MAKE 2022 THE YEAR OF TOASTIQUE IN YOUR COMMUNITY! If you’ve always dreamed of opening a chic, beautiful café that serves healthy, delicious food, now’s your chance! We’re currently awarding franchises in cities across the U.S., and are selling out fast in major markets. Visit our franchise website today to get started on your Franchise Discovery Process and see how owning a healthy food franchise with Toastique can be the right career move for you. If your New Year’s resolution is to be your own boss and leave the corporate grind behind, it’s time to get started!
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ADRIAN LOJO BRINGS HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE TO FLORIDA!
For the first time in the history of our healthy restaurant franchise, Toastique is hitting Florida! And who better to lead the charge than a family with decades of experience in the quick-serve restaurant industry? The Lojos – father Arturo and son Adrian – will be at the helm of affairs, with Adrian overseeing day-to-day operations in an owner-operator capacity, as the country’s most-talked-about healthy restaurant franchise opens its first Florida location in Orlando. The family history is a history of hard work and dedication. While in their native Venezuela, Arturo Lojo was in banking and then branched out to the restaurant industry. He managed a popular chain of fast-food restaurants for two decades before moving to the U.S. to manage more of their stores in Florida. TRAINING FROM TEENAGE “A lot of hard work and strong work ethic” is how Adrian Lojo describes his family of entrepreneurs. As they introduce Toastique to Florida, Arturo has entrusted his son to be in charge as the Franchise Owner. He has been working alongside his father since he was 12. Starting in the kitchen making fries and burgers not only trained Adrian to learn and experience all aspects of the business but gave him a genuine perspective of the industry. Slowly his father started giving him more responsibilities and Adrian started running the registers. He understood the key to the success of any fast food restaurant. “It was about understanding the people,” Adrian says. THE SEARCH FOR A MORE MEANINGFUL ENTERPRISE The Lojos also manage a brand of convenience stores that they acquired around two years ago. That gave them more insights into the purchasing habits of people. But while the businesses were profitable, the family felt the need to venture into something that resonated with the changing aspirations of their customers. They wanted to look for a business that “made sense beyond the economic and business standpoint and at a personal level.” “We were looking for alternatives that fit more into our personal priorities,” the new Franchise Owner says. That’s when they found Toastique. The healthy restaurant franchise checked all the boxes. The product was unique, the identity was aspirational, the business model was profitable, and the franchise brand was in sync with the changing priorities of the consumers. The whole package immensely appealed to the Lojos. They realized that Toastique was the franchise brand they would like to partner with. So, how did Adrian know that Toastique would be it? He sums it up like this: “If I had a Toastique two minutes from my house, I know I would be there all the time.” TOASTIQUE – BEYOND TRENDS AND FADS With decades of experience in the restaurant industry, the Lojos have seen many fads come and go, and know the importance of a sustainable idea. They were clear that they didn’t want to join the latest bandwagon in fast food. They wanted to invest in something that had long-term potential in a market that will only grow bigger. As Adrian points out, “There are both hype trends and secular trends in food. Health and nutrition is a secular trend.” He realized that because it’s about one of the fundamental needs and in alignment with consumer concerns across the country and the world, a brand rooted in authentic, nutritious, and tasty food will be here to stay. With greater awareness, there will be greater demand for a brand like Toastique. The events of the past 18 months have shown us that we need to invest in personal health and nutrition. According to Adrian, “There’s a rising belief that we should start paying attention to our health and what we put into our bodies.” But there’s consumer resistance to health and nutrition because, unfortunately, most healthy food found in restaurants is bland and uninspiring. That’s where Toastique redefined the category. The healthy restaurant franchise with its delicious toasts, açaí bowls, and cold-pressed juices proved that food can be both nutritious and delectable. MAKING IT HAPPEN Admittedly for Adrian, “it didn’t come down to a moment of genius” when he met the Founders. He wasn’t swept off his feet. Like any seasoned entrepreneur, Adrian analyzed the performance and conviction of the team. And he was impressed by what Founder Brianna Keefe and CFO/Director of Construction Kyle Izett had achieved. “They’re just two young people. They have a great idea and they’re there, they’re pushing forward and trying to make it happen.” That’s how Adrian describes Brianna and Kyle. He loved the fact that they had the confidence to execute the idea. Importantly, they did it many times over and under challenging circumstances. For someone who’s been in the restaurant industry since that summer when he was 12, that’s an important distinction. Ideas are far too common. But conviction and consistency are something else. He was thoroughly impressed by the effort and commitment of the team. Adrian adds, “That brings me more comfort and security because you realize that it’s not a one-time thing.” AWAITING PEOPLE’S REACTION What’s our latest Franchise Owner looking forward to as the big day nears? For Adrian, it’s related to people. “I want to see how it reverberates and impacts the guests. I want to see their initial reaction.” That’s because, as a concept, Toastique isn’t a concept that is commonly seen in Florida at the moment. So, as he puts it, he is looking forward to the “pleasant surprises on the customers’ faces.” The other thing Adrian is thinking about is how his team will feel when they open. Adrian is excited about seeing that “feeling of accomplishment and teamwork” among his team members. For this Franchise Owner, it all comes down to the product and that’s the reason he’s so confident. “The toast. It tastes just as good as it looks.” JOIN ADRIAN IN THE HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE MOVEMENT – OWN A TOASTIQUE! If you’re an entrepreneur who would like to partner with a franchise brand that’s reimagining brunch through delicious toasts and cold-pressed juices, this is your chance. With a lean business model and proven track record, Toastique is inviting potential Franchise Owners. Click here to learn more.
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HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO START A HEALTHY CAFÉ FROM SCRATCH?
The economy is on a strong growth trajectory and there’s a flurry of entrepreneurship activity. If you too are considering opening a restaurant or a healthy café franchise, it helps to know how much it would cost. Unless you have a clear understanding of the expenses involved in opening and running a healthy café in your community, it’s unwise to invest. So, how much does it cost to open a restaurant? The short answer is that it depends on a lot of factors, from the location to delivery model to cuisine. It also depends on whether it will be a fine-dining restaurant, fast-casual outlet, pop-up, or takeout restaurant. Overall, it’s been estimated that if you lease the building, it will cost you around $3,046 per seat in your restaurant, and if you plan to own the building, it can go up to $3,734 per seat. To understand the costs of starting a restaurant in detail, it would be helpful to break them up into one-time costs and recurring costs. ONE-TIME COSTS These are costs that you’ll have to incur just once. There are true one-time costs including the security deposit for the building that you have to incur only once when you open the restaurant. Other costs like crockery, cutlery, kitchen, and cooking equipment will have to be replaced when they start developing wear and tear. SECURITY DEPOSIT This depends on the location and size of the restaurant. It could be anywhere between $2,000 and $12,000. If you plan to buy the building, then you would need to have around ten percent of the total amount for the down payment. BUSINESS LICENSE FEES You’ll have to pay for city licensing fees, local permits, compliance permits for health and safety, and liquor permits. These depend on governmental rules and could be up to $300. LEGAL FEES You would need the services of an experienced lawyer and that can cost between $500 and $2,000. Your lawyer will ensure that your restaurant is compliant with local laws and formalize the ownership structure. Make sure that you run all your paperwork by your lawyer before you commit to anything. BUILDOUT/REMODELING COSTS You may have to remodel the space, especially the kitchen, to suit your needs. The seating area will also need investments if you opt for a fine-dining restaurant. These costs can add up to around $350,000. KITCHEN AND COOKING EQUIPMENT If yours is a small restaurant, you might be able to do it for under $50,000. It can cost you more than $150,000 if you have a larger kitchen. To reduce your restaurant costs, you can always buy second-hand equipment from restaurants that have gone out of business. TABLEWARE AND FURNITURE These are expected costs if yours is a dine-in restaurant. These might cost you around $8,000 on average for a new restaurant. PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY To keep track of payments, inventory, and orders, you would need a point-of-sale system. This can cost you around $20,000 depending on the model and make you choose. MARKETING One of the most underrated aspects of restaurant expenses is marketing that includes the initial signage and advertising. To increase brand awareness, it might take up to $30,000, and that’s just to get started! RECURRING COSTS These are the associated recurring expenses of running a restaurant. Most of these will fluctuate depending on your size and location. LEASE PAYMENTS The most important of all recurring costs is your monthly lease and it could range from $2,000 to $12,000 or more, depending on the neighborhood where your healthy café is located. The lease will also go up by a small percentage every year. This is another reason why you should negotiate well in the beginning. SALARIES The number of your employees and the size of their salaries will depend on the model and size of your restaurant. Managers might need up to $50,000 in salaries whereas head chefs would demand up to $1,800 per week. If yours is a takeout or pop-up restaurant, you would be saving considerably on these costs. FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPENSES Your food costs will depend on your menu, which should be based on your target audience and location. You can negotiate with your suppliers and buy in bulk to lower the expenses. You can also go for a satellite license for liquor whereby a brewery, distillery, or winery will designate you as a satellite facility to sell their beverages. UTILITY BILLS AND INSURANCE FEES These include electric, water, phone, gas, internet, trash removal, and internet charges and can add up to around $2,500 per month. You’ll also have to incur the cost of insurance and permits and licenses. ONGOING MARKETING Whether you choose to advertise on hoardings, radio, newspapers, or social media, you would have to consistently spend every month. If you have an agency handling your advertising, you’ll have to pay retainer fees every month. OWNING A HEALTHY CAFÉ FRANCHISE – THE MORE SENSIBLE OPTION Even with all these one-time and recurring costs, there’s no guarantee that the restaurant will succeed. There is immense competition in the industry, which will force you to increase your marketing expenditure or cut down on your prices. But there are no such major risks when you choose to partner with a healthy cafe franchise. To begin with, it would be a proven concept. You don’t have to start from scratch when you invest in a healthy café concept like Toastique that consumers are familiar with. Secondly, consumers would be aware of the product range and you don’t have to needlessly spend on marketing. Toastique, for example, has thousands of followers on Instagram, allowing them to advertise new products and menu offerings for free just using word of mouth and highly Insta-worthy photos! (Of course, our Franchise Owners also receive comprehensive marketing support from our executive team – something else an independent healthy café owner wouldn’t have access to.) Most importantly, with a proven franchise brand like Toastique, you’ll have a dependable and proven business model. With comparatively short buildout and ramp-up time and multiple revenue streams including dine-in, carryout, delivery, and catering, not to mention the minimal need for staff and equipment, you’ll be reducing both one-time and recurring costs while increasing your income. If you’re an entrepreneur planning to get into the restaurant sector, it makes immense sense to go with a proven concept. As Toastique’s Franchise Owners have found out, the brand’s delicious toasts and cold-pressed juices are finding new audiences every day. Click here to know more about how you can get in on this proven and profitable healthy café concept.
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COLORADO SPRINGS COUPLE BRINGS HEALTHY FRANCHISE TO THE COMMUNITY
Colorado Springs, CO now has three new things to look forward to. Toastique is coming to town with not just one or two but THREE all-new locations! And who better to lead this nationally recognized and growing healthy breakfast franchise than Kevin and Krista Christianson? It would be an understatement to say the pair is excited about the venture. “We believe in the brand, and we believe in ourselves! For us, it’s the next adventure in our long-term partnership,” says Krista about owning a healthy franchise with Toastique. One of the things you notice about the Christiansons is they seem to have an uncanny knack for making the right choices. To begin with, they have been married for 23 years. The couple has a son and a daughter, and they have lived in Colorado Springs since 2017. Krista spent 21 years in the Air Force working as a nurse anesthetist. Kevin has over 25 years of experience in the restaurant and retail industry. He also has prior experience in the food service industry, having run his own quick-service restaurant when the family was in California. Kevin and Krista Christianson have demonstrated through their professional and personal lives that they value loyalty, discipline, and commitment. While that makes the couple inspirational, what makes them unique is how they defy the stereotypes around entrepreneurship. There has been an unfortunate assumption that starting your own business is only an option for those in their 20s or 30s, or that owning a business is only possible with years to decades of previous business management experience. In actuality, becoming a business owner through investing in a healthy franchise like Toastique is a smart and fun way to transition from one’s previous career to something that can bring a new level of personal and professional fulfillment. Kevin and Krista Christianson are prime examples of what it really takes to own and run a successful business. Anyone can become an entrepreneur provided they have the commitment to work hard, desire to learn, and can demonstrate people management skills. For the Christiansons, it was also an opportunity to start an exciting journey together. Krista says, “Entrepreneurship seemed like the perfect fit as we redefine our goals for the next several years.” For the couple, investing in Toastique was more than a business venture. Krista explains, “As a family, we experienced both personal and professional transitions in recent years that inspired us to reinvent and reinvest in ourselves.” It’s not just for themselves, though. The Christiansons are also embarking on this exciting phase of their lives to inspire the next generation. As Krista says, “We want to set a positive example for our children.” One can safely say that this family is into sports, particularly soccer. Kevin has played soccer all of his life. He has also been a youth soccer coach for several years. Both of the couple’s children also play soccer at a competitive level. The Christiansons place high importance on health and with Toastique’s focus on healthy, all-natural food, the franchise brand seemed like the perfect fit. “Toastique represents everything we were looking for in a fast-casual concept,” says Krista. The family’s reason for choosing Toastique is perhaps the simplest, yet also the most important motivation for owning a business: “It is a place where we would want to be customers.” The couple saw the positive effects the healthy breakfast franchise can bring to their neighborhood. Krista says they “liked the idea of introducing healthy vibrant food options into our community.” But it’s not just the healthy gourmet toasts or cold-pressed juices that the couple has in mind. They are also extremely serious about “delivering it in a way that meets our high standards for quality and customer service.” Krista is confident that they can do it, saying, “it helps that Kevin works so well with customers and they love him.” The couple was also impressed by the Founder of Toastique Brianna Keefe and Kyle Izett, CFO and Director of Construction. “They welcomed our questions, provided tons of information, showed us their stores, and made us feel like we could be part of the brand,” Krista recalls. THE APPROVAL DAY EXPERIENCE The Christiansons believe that they were fortunate to be able to spend a day with Toastique healthy franchise Founder Brianna Keefe and COO/Construction Manager Kyle Izett, along with the rest of the executive team at their Approval Day in Washington, D.C. What they liked about the leadership of Toastique was the leadership team’s openness. Krista says, “Brianna and Kyle were genuine and transparent about their backgrounds and goals for the brand. It was like hanging out with friends!” The new Franchise Owners loved having a first-hand experience of how Toastique worked during their Approval Day. As Krista explains, “We were able to see Brianna and Kyle in their element and how they interacted with their staff and their team.” What made the couple choose Toastique over others? They did their market research about the product and the Founders and found them to be “far superior to any other concept.” But it was the meeting with Brianna and Kyle that cemented the deal for the Christiansons. “Once Kevin and I experienced Toastique as customers while sitting down with Brianna and Kyle in D.C., we both knew we were in the right place,” says Krista. Do they have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs? Krista’s succinct response sums up the couple’s focus, determination, and drive: “Be patient. It can be a long process.” HEALTHY GOALS FOR A HEALTHY FRANCHISE As Opening Day draws nearer and nearer for Krista and Kevin, the couple looks forward to what they consider one of the most important things about owning a healthy franchise like Toastique: “We can’t wait to provide something healthful and positive in our own community.” Kevin and Krista are excellent role models for anyone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur and helping their community thrive in more ways than one. They are excited to introduce their neighborhood to Toastique’s unique offerings that include healthy gourmet toasts, açaí bowls, espresso drinks, and cold-pressed juices. They are also encouraged by their potential for success, thanks to Toastique’s lean business model and multiple, easy-to-pivot revenue streams and flexible format. We are encouraged to welcome another amazing couple of Owners into our growing healthy franchise family, and can’t wait to see what Krista and Kevin accomplish! 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THE BENEFITS OF OWNING A HEALTHY CAFÉ FRANCHISE
While the interest in healthy and all-natural food had been growing over the last few years, the pandemic accelerated it. Consumers are now aware of the need to make healthier lifestyle choices. If you’re thinking of starting a business or venturing into the restaurant industry, this is the time to consider opening a healthy restaurant franchise. Most people who think of starting a restaurant would go for any of the traditional choices. Whether it’s an ethnic or a fast food outlet, these are the obvious options in popular culture. It may be easy but it’s an unwise move because both the industry and consumers have changed. The old ideas won’t work anymore. As an entrepreneur, a healthy restaurant franchise is one of the safest bets you can make. WHY YOU SHOULD OPEN A HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE As an entrepreneur, you should be aware of where the industry is headed before you invest your time and effort. And starting a restaurant, especially in the traditional sector, requires a lot of financial investment. Here’s why having your own healthy restaurant will help you get the right returns on those investments. LESS COMPETITION The restaurant industry comes with few barriers to entry. Anyone can open a restaurant with the same old menu and still claim to be a new restaurant in town. If you were to go with a traditional fast-food outlet, you’ll be joining the bandwagon. What you offer, however delicious, will be like what several others offer. This creates several problems. There will be little competitive advantage and low brand recall for your restaurant. But with a healthy restaurant franchise, your menu will be distinct from other outlets in the area, which will give you a significant competitive advantage. In several instances, you might be creating a whole new category that has little competition. PRICING FLEXIBILITY When there are too many competitors with similar products, the only way to stand out will be by reducing prices. This is one of the reasons many restaurants struggle to make profits despite finding regular customers. While this pricing barrier has always constrained restaurant entrepreneurs, the new reality of app-based delivery has compounded the problem. When customers buy through food delivery aggregator apps, they will be making instant comparisons between you and other restaurants based on price. This will be independent of the quality of your dishes since most of them can be easily found elsewhere. A healthy restaurant franchise is different because it will give you the freedom to command premium pricing on several dishes. Since it’s healthy and made with all-natural ingredients, consumers would be willing to pay the price difference. So, starting a healthy restaurant franchise will help you get adequate returns and a stable revenue stream. CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIORS The biggest reason to open a healthy restaurant franchise is that it’s the future of the industry. The pandemic played a crucial part in changing consumer expectations about food. But the movement had started a few years ago. There has been a growing realization that the industrialized manufacturing process used in fast-food outlets is unhealthy. That industry’s primary objective is not to create nutritious and wholesome food but to churn out meals in quick succession with high economies of scale. It’s convenient but hardly healthy. Consumers have had to pay the price for these unhealthy choices. Obesity and related health conditions are now frighteningly common even among teenagers and children. The pandemic brought to light the need for healthy lifestyle choices. Confined to their homes, millions of people realized that their sedentary lives fueled by cheap carb-filled food can only be bad news. By starting a healthy restaurant franchise, you’ll be providing them with the solution. Since there exists a massive need for healthy food – especially fast-casual healthy food – you’ll be creating a business that already has a strong demand. This considerably reduces the risk and helps you stand out. In the traditional unhealthy sector, the hope is that supply would create demand. With a healthy restaurant franchise, rest assured, demand will create its supply. NO NEED FOR UNNECESSARY MARKETING You won’t have to needlessly spend on marketing if you open a healthy restaurant franchise. There is little need to spend tens of thousands of dollars to create brand awareness or educate the public about your business. There is heightened awareness about the category and customer expectations around pricing. With a regular restaurant, this won’t be the case. With little product differentiation, you’ll be competing with every other restaurant in the vicinity. No matter how good or unique your dishes are, you’ll have to incur considerable expenses in marketing. Unlike what you spend on the infrastructure or utensils, marketing investments will be regular. You’ll have to constantly spend on both traditional and digital media. Other than the media expenses, your restaurant will also need to spend on retaining a digital agency to take care of the marketing. This is another reason why you should open a healthy restaurant franchise of a nationally reputed chain like Toastique. The brand has exceptional equity in the minds of consumers. You don’t have to start from scratch a create a new brand. TOASTIQUE: THE FUTURE-PROOF HEALTHY RESTAURANT If you’re thinking of opening a restaurant, a smart decision would be to invest in a franchise brand that’s in alignment with consumer needs and expectations. Toastique has already proven the viability of its business model in several markets and is now expanding all across the country. What makes Toastique such a compelling proposition is its unique menu consisting of healthy gourmet toasts, açaí bowls, and cold-pressed juices. The flexibility of the format, including, dine-in, delivery, and grab-and-go makes Toastique exceptionally customer-friendly. Opening a restaurant will be one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your life. Choosing a healthy restaurant franchise like Toastique will make it easy for you to succeed and live the life of your dreams. Click here to know more about our franchising opportunities.
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TOASTIQUE BRINGS HEALTHY RESTAURANT FRANCHISE CONCEPT TO SARASOTA
Sarasota, Florida doesn’t have to wait long to enjoy gourmet toasts and cold-pressed juices from one of the country’s fastest-growing healthy food franchises. Toastique is coming to town under the leadership of Luke and Laura Anderson. For a franchise brand that’s synonymous with healthy and active lifestyles, there couldn’t have been a better pair to introduce Toastique to Sarasota. For the couple, it was love at first sight. “Having run multiple businesses and after researching the world of franchise businesses, I was truly impressed from the moment I received the first piece of literature about Toastique. I was all in,” says Luke about the couple’s Franchise Discovery Process. As Laura puts it, “Being the cook in the house, fueling my active family with healthy food has always been a priority. Finding a brand that I could feel good about and help bring that concept to others greatly influenced my desire to partner with Toastique.” LET’S MEET THE ANDERSONS! Luke and Laura have lived in the Sarasota area since 2003 and in Lakewood Ranch since 2009. Their only son, Chad, is a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School. Laura, who is originally from Central California, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Eastern Kentucky University. She was also a collegiate D1 softball team member there. She went back to school at SCF to earn her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN) and was a Labor & Delivery Nurse for five years at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Looking for an opportunity to spend more time with their son she transitioned to Lakewood Ranch High School where she has served as both a nurse and a faculty member. Luke is from Florida and was raised in Bradenton. He attended Bayshore High School where he was a multi-sport varsity letterman and went on to play collegiate D1 football at Eastern Kentucky University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He is the former owner, operator, and partner of Audio Video Partners (AVP), LLC., a low voltage and audio-video integration firm specializing in commercial projects. Before AVP, Luke was a partner in Synergy Multimedia and later sold that business to Tempus Electronic Lifestyles. At Tempus, he served as the head of operations and project management. He recently sold his ownership in AVP to his partner to pursue new passions and business endeavors. THE RIGHT BRAND, THE RIGHT LOCATION What makes Luke and Laura the right Franchise Owners for Toastique’s new location? Well, the Andersons love the area for its “year-round active lifestyle,” as they put it. How active are the couple, by the way? Traveling, hiking, running, fitness, tennis, and cooking are some of their top leisure activities. Sounds pretty active to us! As Laura says, “We wanted a business that suited our personal and professional backgrounds. With Toastique, we knew right away that it was the perfect fit for us.” The duo is deeply involved in their community, in everything from youth sports to business networking. They also love the area for its young families and high-level public education. Considering their interests and those of the market they will operate in, Luke says they are excited to bring this new healthy and active lifestyle brand to the area. From Toastique’s point of view, they’re not just the ideal Franchise Owners. They’re also the ideal customers. This enables the Andersons to better understand the local market and orient their outreach to address the need gap for healthy food in the area. In Luke’s words, “We were looking for a franchise brand that was new, had a product offering that we could be passionate about, and a modern aesthetic. Toastique checked all of those boxes.” “GENUINE LEADERSHIP” Laura and Luke were impressed when they met Toastique’s leadership team, including Founder Brianna Keefe and CFO/Director of Construction Kyle Izett. The Sarasota couple has one word to describe them: genuine. Their admiration for Brianna and Kyle grew as they realized that the Founders were living the Toastique brand values. “Their dedication really struck us,” Laura says. Approval Day was special for the Andersons. This is the opportunity for prospective Franchise Owners to travel to Toastique’s Washington, D.C. headquarters and experience the operations of the business first-hand, as well as sit down for a face-to-face with Brianna and Kyle. They liked the locations they visited and were impressed by the evolution of the space layout in each new location. Luke says, “Having built a business from scratch, we know first-hand the challenges you face when owning a business. We were impressed from the beginning by not only the product and image of Toastique but also the business model and level of detail the team has put together.” The product, the people, and the positioning seemed perfect for the new Franchise Owners. “The gourmet product offerings, clean and elegant branding strategy, and a simple business model that we could be part of early on and bring to our market,” are a few of the things that Laura says helped the couple make their decision. “After the meeting, we knew this would indeed be a partnership and not just a stand-alone operation,” she adds. The Andersons know that their new venture will be successful because they’re passionate, determined, and more than willing to put in the hard work. “Combining the business ownership and construction experience Luke has with the passion and determination I possess is going to be a killer combination,” Laura says with confidence. Laura has a simple piece of advice to future Franchise Owners: Clarify all your doubts. As she states, “There are never too many questions to ask.” Luke adds, “Owning a business is not easy. Make sure you have a solid plan in place before making this commitment. Your success will not be determined solely by you or your efforts but by your ability to surround yourself with people that make you better.” Laura and Luke are now looking forward to “bringing this new and healthy brand to our local market and sharing that with family, friends, and the community.” You too can become an entrepreneur, backed by a national brand known for creative gourmet toasts, cold-pressed juices, açaí bowls, and a simple, proven business model. Please visit our franchise website for more info.
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THESE HEALTHCARE WORKERS ARE BRINGING OUR HEALTHY FOOD FRANCHISE TO BAKERSFIELD, CA!
Get ready, Bakersfield, California! One of the nation’s fastest-growing healthy cafe franchises is soon coming to town! Our newest Franchise Owners, Roger and Tammie Miller, a couple devoted to healthcare, are getting ready to introduce our healthy brunch offerings, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and more to their community later this year. Our new Franchise Owners are also the ideal Toastique customers. They believe in active, healthy lifestyles. There’s never a dull moment in the Miller household. “There’s always something happening around here,” according to Tammie. She enjoys projects around the house while the family loves hiking, camping, working out, and spending time with their friends. PRIORITIZING HEALTH The Millers have been Bakersfield residents for all their lives and know the region inside out. Like their parents, Tammie and Roger’s two daughters Kylee and Tevynn are excited about Toastique because it fits in well with the family’s priorities. Tammie has worked in the preoperative care unit of a famous hospital in the region for over two decades. As for Roger, well, it’s been about healthcare, management, and mostly, perseverance. While working as a bartender when he was in school, Roger ended up with four – yes, four – degrees. He got an AA in Sociology, BA in Public Administration, BS in Nursing, and a Master’s in Healthcare Management. Starting in emergency services and moving onto management, he is currently Clinical Director of Acute Care Services at a local Level II trauma center. “WE FELT A CONNECTION” From their professional and personal experiences, the Millers know the importance of eating healthy food. While they are fully aware of the need to follow a healthy diet, they also know that it’s not that easy. They realize that poor eating decisions are mostly based on convenience. After a long day at work, it’s difficult for most families to go to the grocery store, pick up healthy ingredients, and come home and cook. “These are struggles we face and we know we are not alone,” Tammie says. When they first saw Toastique, they knew that it was different. “It is hard to explain but we felt a connection,” Roger adds. His reasons are not difficult to understand. To begin with, Toastique serves healthy food. But the Millers were also in awe of the brand’s aesthetics. “EVERYTHING IS SO BEAUTIFUL” The Millers had done their research on franchising opportunities and weren’t impressed with what they had seen. “Many franchises we looked at seemed cheap and most likely are cheap,” Roger sums up. But this time around, things were different. “Toastique screams quality in everything it does,” he adds. Toastique’s emphasis on healthy living and creating food made with whole, healthy ingredients convinced Roger and Tammie that they were making the right decision. “Everything about it is so beautiful, from the logo to the decor and most importantly, the food. You just know people are going to love it,” the new Franchise Owner says confidently. The couple got to try our wide range of healthy, yummy menu offerings during their Approval Day at Toastique headquarters in Washington, D.C. Things couldn’t have gone better. Roger and Tammie loved what they had. “The food and juices are as good as they look. They are wonderful!” Tammie says. THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO INVEST IN Roger and Tammie know that the product is only part of the puzzle. When it’s a substantial sum of money, the Millers know that the individuals they are investing in should also be credible, transparent, and inspiring. And in Toastique Founder Brianna Keefe and COO Kyle Izett, along with the rest of the Executive Team, that’s precisely what they found. Tammie found Kyle and Brianna to be very personable. A hallmark of every successful entrepreneur is the belief they have in their product.“The pride they have for Toastique exudes from them,” Tammie says about the founding duo. As for Roger, the former bartender who went on to get four degrees can spot determination when he sees it. “Kyle and Brianna are driven to succeed and I liked that,” he says. The new Franchise Owners also appreciate how the Toastique support team has been there to explain everything about the brand, product, and operations. Roger understands that they’re still early in the process of rolling out the new location but he deeply appreciates how Brianna, Kyle, and company are ready to answer their queries. “Their availability thus far has been great,” he says. ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS THE WAY Roger and Tammie are confident that Toastique will succeed. It has the right ingredients, from the product to the people behind it. But what will truly make it happen for the Millers is the hard work they’re willing to put in. Being great believers in entrepreneurship, Roger and Tammie are delighted that now they have a chance to work for themselves. “The only way to true success in our country is through working for yourself. I want that and I want to teach my girls that,” Roger says. For now, Roger and Tammie can’t wait to introduce Toastique to Bakersfield and see their customers’ reactions. “We’re waiting to see our community embrace it,” adds Tammie. Click here if you too want to join Roger and Tammie and start your entrepreneurial journey with the nation’s hottest new healthy café franchise.
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