Franchise Updates
How to Choose the Ideal Franchise Territory & How the Seablooms Knew Minneapolis was Perfect for Toastique!
The health food market has been booming for years and is rapidly growing into a $1 TRILLION industry across the globe.* Today’s younger generations are more likely to pay a premium for healthier, sustainably sourced ingredients, so this should mean that any community would be the perfect place to open a Toastique gourmet toast and juice bar. Right? While we’ve seen success virtually everywhere our Franchisees have chosen to open their doors, there are a few factors our team considers first before giving the green light. Let’s take a deep dive into each and learn about how our newest Owners knew their hometown was the perfect place to start their own Toastique business! Factors to Consider When Choosing the Ideal Toastique Territory While more parts of the country are seeing growth in the demand for healthy alternatives to the existing breakfast options in the fast-casual and quick-service restaurant market, that doesn’t necessarily mean that every city or town will be a perfect fit for the Toastique model. Instead of wondering or hoping someone will come along and tell you if your community is a good fit, here are a few factors we recommend looking at to tell if your area is prime territory for our gourmet toast and juice bar franchise. Ideal Customer Profile When you first start to think about your own health-focused restaurant, you’ll first need to consider the type of customer you’ll want to target and attract to your business. At Toastique, our concept is designed to perfectly fit all kinds of people and lifestyles; however, this doesn’t mean that you should target anyone and everyone in your area who might enjoy gourmet toast options in their diet. Instead, imagine your dream customer – whether that’s young professionals on the go or high-earning, health-focused families – and plan to target them. This will not only help you narrow down your search for the perfect brick-and-mortar location, but it will also streamline your future marketing and expansion efforts. Territory Demographics Once you have a clear understanding of who your ideal customer is, you’ll then turn your focus back to your prospective territory or territories and figure out if you can find your dream customers there. In order to do so, you’ll take a close look at the demographics of the area and compare them to your client profile. Your assessment should include things like housing types, age group distribution, income levels, and even recent economic growth and with Toastique, you’ll receive guidance during this step of the process because we want to ensure your breakfast restaurant is successful, too! Look at Other Businesses in the Area At Toastique, we believe that we truly don’t have any competitors that are offering the same delicious products and level of service as our gourmet toast and juice bars. However, that doesn’t mean that you should disregard the other nearby restaurants during your site selection process! Neighborhoods that are highly industrial and are home to only the typical chain restaurants may not be the ideal community for your Toastique; however, a mixed-use area that boasts complementary concepts like coffee shops and full-service local restaurants could be the perfect place for a toast, juice, and smoothie concept like our breakfast franchise. Future Territory Growth If you’re local to the territory, it won’t be difficult to recognize the direction your community is growing. Metropolitan and suburban neighborhoods across the country are seeing record-breaking population growth and development, making them an ideal fit for an entrepreneur that’s looking to maintain and grow their business well into the future. Conversely, certain types of neighborhoods have seen a decline, especially since 2020, making them a more difficult territory to successfully open a restaurant. Depending on the city, these could be downtown areas or even mixed suburban/rural neighborhoods. Wherever you’re considering as your future Toastique territory, make sure you consider how it’s grown in recent years before making your final decision. Please Join Us in Welcoming Our Newest Owners: Scott & Laura Seabloom of Minneapolis, MN! While Minnesota may be a true Midwestern, meat and potatoes state, the young, growing city of Minneapolis is the perfect setting for our next Toastique healthy cafe location! To help us get there, we’re excited to introduce Scott and Laura Seabloom: the hungry, energetic young family with an existing passion for healthy living and dream of business ownership! Becoming the Seablooms Scott Seabloom was born and raised in Minnesota, where he lived the typical active Minnesota lifestyle, with much of his life revolving around fishing (both open water and ice fishing), baseball, road biking, football, and more. After high school, he chose to attend college in Duluth, MN, where he began his career in IT sales and consulting, a path he has continued more than 20 years later. On the other hand, after moving to Minnesota at 25 to pursue her Master’s in holistic health studies at Saint Catherine University in Minneapolis, Laura and Scott crossed paths, and the rest is history. As the pair got to know each other, Laura began working in fashion before pivoting to become a holistic health coach, earning certifications and working both independently and within health and wellness clinics along the way. Since starting their family, Scott and Laura have enjoyed enrolling their family in recreational sports and focusing their life on all things wellness and self-care. However, the pair knew that their diverse backgrounds could complement each other and help them start a business and take their careers on an entirely new trajectory. Scott had been casually looking at franchise investment opportunities for years, the Seablooms finally discovered the Toastique healthy breakfast franchise through a simple internet search, and it suddenly all fell into place. Becoming Entrepreneurs & Getting to Know Toastique Laura had operated as her own freelancer in previous years, but the couple longed to start a business together that allowed them to become financially independent as a family. However, they wanted to do it in a way that empowered them to spread the healthy living mantra through their community at the same time. “We have always discussed owning our own business for a variety of reasons. We love the challenge of owning our own business and the potential financial reward and future flexibility it will create. With Toastique, it also provides the opportunity to pursue a passion while creating an impact in our community and surrounding areas.” The Seablooms considered a variety of fast-casual restaurant franchise concepts, but nothing fit their lifestyle and goals for their family, quite like Toastique’s gourmet toast and juice bar. After Scott first discovered our business model and crunched the initial numbers, he brought Laura into the conversation so the pair could determine if their corner of Minneapolis would be a good fit for their own healthy cafe. Once they recognized the market fit and opportunity to join the growing health food niche – not to mention the promising EBIDTA – they saw in Toastique, there was no question about it: the Seablooms had found the franchise for them! Sitting Down with the Seablooms While Scott and Laura are preparing to open the doors to their first Toastique healthy cafe location in the prime Minneapolis territory, our team was eager to get to know them even more! Luckily, the couple made time to sit down with our team for a quick Q&A, so take a peek at some of the answers they gave us! Why is Toastique the right fit for you? Scott & Laura: “Toastique is the right fit because [it] represents a unique entry point into a niche health market that aligns with how we would eat as a family. We share in their passion for delivering quality food that is both appealing to the eyes and pallet while nourishing your body. [We felt that] Brianna is personable, professional, and passionate. Teamed with Kyle and the rest of the Toastique team, we immediately felt welcomed. They are transparent and want to ensure this is a win/win for everyone.” What did you like about Approval Day? S&L: “We really liked seeing all the DC locations while discussing the pros and cons of each location (size, features, etc.). It was also great how open the discussions were, with Brianna and Kyle walking through certain scenarios, answering detailed questions, and getting to know each of us personally as we went from site to site. Of course, the delicious tasting food and sampling the cold-pressed juices were encouraged, and we took full advantage.” What was the a-ha moment that made you want to franchise with Toastique? S&L: “[It was] our sit-down in the conference room during Approval Day, when Brianna and Kyle walked us through step by step the process from signature to opening day, tools and resources we’d have access to, how-to’s, etc. They answered all the questions we and the other potential franchisees had and were very transparent in [the] discussion. This transparency, along with [the] entirety of the Approval Day, was our ah-ha.” If you’re looking to join the growing health market and feel passionate about bringing a fast-casual restaurant concept to the community you love, like Scott and Laura, Toastique has the business model and fresh, delicious menu that Franchisees are clamoring to join. With new Owners joining us from all over the country, it won’t be long before a Toastique healthy restaurant location pops up in your neighborhood! Will it be you behind the counter, or will you miss out on this franchise investment opportunity? Now that you know where to look to find the best possible territory for your future gourmet toast and juice bar, take the next step in the process by seeing if you qualify to join our healthy franchise family! Who knows – maybe you’ll be the next new Franchisee we feature in a future blog! If you’re ready to say goodbye to corporate life for good and bring a fresh, healthy cafe concept to your community, take our quick qualification quiz to see if you’ve got what it takes today.
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Introducing Toastique’s Newest Trio of Owners from Las Vegas: Anna, Ozzy & Judy!
There are a few things Las Vegas is known for – gambling, world-class food, and excess – but outside of the tourist destinations and the famous Las Vegas Strip, there are thriving communities, family-friendly neighborhoods, and vibrant culture. When the Toastique team connected with a trio of friends who’d fallen in love with our health-focused menu and were looking to introduce our gourmet toast and juice bar concept to the Sin City territory, we knew we were in for an exciting opportunity to expand! Today, we’re excited to introduce you to Anna and Ozzy Azevdeo and Judy Garb, three best friends who were looking forward to starting the next chapter of their professional – and financial – lives not only as friends but as business partners. Let’s get to know the trio and hear about their plans for opening the first – of hopefully many! – Toastique Vegas locations. Welcome Anna, Ozzy & Judy, Our New Las Vegas Toastique Franchisees! From Hospitality, Human Resources & Wholesale to Becoming Business Owners Anna and Judy have been best friends for more than 20 years, and after Anna and Ozzy married, the trio became an inseparable part of each other’s lives. While Judy and Anna originally began in the food and beverage industry at Hooters on the East Coast, the pair made the move to Las Vegas to pursue a new future together. From there, Anna stayed in hospitality, working everywhere from Tao, the highest-grossing restaurant in the country, to Valley Car Group, a vehicle wholesale company, where she holds the Market Manager of Nevada position today. On the other hand, Judy chose to change careers and dove into human resources and recruiting, with much of her work revolving around hiring in technical sectors and working hand-in-hand with many well-known companies – with retail giant Zappos! being among them. When she isn’t working, Judy spends time with her teenage son and husband and maintains her creative passions by working with her hands, sewing, cooking, and crafting whenever possible. Ozzy became the third member of this group after moving to Vegas to also earn a living working the front-of-house side of the restaurant business. While bartending across the area, including in the Venetian Palazzo on the Strip, he met and fell head over heels for Anna. While the duo grew closer, Ozzy continued his hospitality career, becoming the general manager of a bar and restaurant where he’s been for the past seven years. The pair married and have since grown their family by welcoming two twin girls to the world in 2019. How Toastique Stood Out Anna, Ozzy, and Judy hadn’t started the conversation of launching their own business with franchising as their first choice, but once Toastique fell into their laps after scrolling through Instagram, they knew it was the option they wanted to pursue. While Judy had been the first to find out about our breakfast franchise opportunity, she and Judy decided to take a day trip to St. George, Utah, together to try out the healthy menu and check out the business model in action. From then on, their interest in Toastique snowballed, and after taking a good look at their community, the trio knew they had the perfect territory fit for our gourmet toast and juice bar franchise. “There [are] a lot of people out here that are very conscious of how they look and how they present. The healthy aspect is what got us because there is a lack of that – not just in this community but in so many communities. As a mother and someone [who is] always on the go, you want something healthy that is accessible, and Toastique offers that.” With open minds and eager financial plans, the friends navigated their way into the franchising world and went through each step of the process together. Before they knew it, Anna, Ozzy, and Judy found themselves riding around Washington, D.C., on rental scooters, affirming each other’s thoughts on joining Toastique and high-fiving one another after making the final decision to open a business together. Looking Forward to Their Joint Venture With Anna, Ozzy, and Judy each bringing their own unique yet complementary backgrounds to the table, the trio has already outlined the role each will play in opening and running their Toastique healthy restaurant franchise, especially with Judy and Anna pursuing this full-time while Ozzy will continue his GM position. Judy’s HR and recruiting background has made her the obvious choice for sourcing, vetting, and hiring tasks, though she also plans to do much of the daily operations and administrative work alongside her partners. Meanwhile, Anna has stepped into the marketing role, thanks to her experience in hospitality and a previous life as a YouTube content creator together with her husband. Ozzy may be planning to continue his full-time job and only join the trio’s Toastique venture on a part-time basis – for now – his bar and restaurant management experience will be invaluable as they grow into the future, especially once they’re ready to look at additional franchise territories. His experience has led him to be most interested in the numbers and catering aspects of the business, with his highest priorities being minimizing food costs and diversifying their revenue through catering opportunities. The Trio’s Perspective on Bringing Toastique to Sin City While these friends have each chosen which roles they’ll play in opening and running their breakfast franchise location, Anna, Ozzy, and Judy are working together to find the perfect commercial real estate for their first Toastique healthy breakfast restaurant. Even so, the trio made time for a Q&A with our team, so check out this look into their thoughts on Toastique, their hopes for the future, and their perspective on the whole franchising process! What about the business model felt like it was the right fit for you guys? Ozzy: “When I saw the product, saw how they’re running things, and saw everything’s figured out. The no-waste was a big eye-opener for us. I saw Kyle and Bri and their branding and brilliance, and I could see how this could really go somewhere. They inspired me [with] how intelligent they were with branding.” Anna: “We fell in love with the business model. You know, anybody can start [in] food and beverage, but anytime you had a question, [they] already had the answer. We started comparing this to the East Coast; when we thought about it, we [thought that] rent might be slightly cheaper [and] our weather’s better. So, if [Toastique] works there, it’s gotta work here. All the restaurants that are similar have been very successful here.” What did you like about meeting the Toastique team at Approval Day? Judy: “They were very down to Earth. They were very knowledgeable and had been through some of the things that we would be nervous about. So, they had that innate knowledge of questions we would experience as new Franchise Owners, and they built some confidence [with] us moving forward with this. Anna: [They were] like somebody we would hang out with. I forget what it was about, [but] we were laughing so hard my stomach hurt after. We really did have a good time with them.” What are you looking forward to most about opening your Toastique? Anna: “I know it’s going to be a lot of work, so there’s part of me looking forward to prepping for it [and] I like the creativity behind the catering. That’s where I thrive – [in] being a little bit more creative. I’m looking forward to [people telling] me, ‘Oh my god, everything was so great. We loved the customer service, we loved everything, we’ll be back.’ I’m looking forward to making people happy [and] having a real responsibility in that.” What advice would you give to someone who was in your shoes and starting the franchising process with Toastique? Ozzy: “Talk to the people [that] have Toastique franchises – they are happy, excited, [and] want to open more. It’s a new, fresh concept that’s not by any means groundbreaking, but the way they’re doing and branding it, it’s new. It’s not like you’re getting into Tropical Smoothie, which is a little bit played out – you’re getting in on the ground level. Compared to others, the biggest thing with Toastique [is that] they seem much more involved. You can tell the support is there, and the biggest thing for us is that the support will be there.” When you’re ready to ditch the corporate grind and start something that helps you earn money for yourself instead of your boss, it’s time to join the Toastique healthy eating franchise. Our gourmet toast and juice bar model will help you bring a healthy option to your community while building you an even healthier bank account. Take our quick qualification quiz to see if you’re on the right track to Toastique franchise ownership today.
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How Toastique Helps Owners with Marketing & Introducing Our Newest Franchise Owners!
When potential entrepreneurs think of joining a restaurant franchise, one of the last tasks they often think they’ll spend their time doing is marketing. However, this aspect of running a business can easily make or break a business – but don’t worry, you won’t be left to your own devices with your marketing efforts when you make the decision to introduce Toastique to your community. Regardless of how much experience you have with marketing now, know that you’ll have a team of experienced marketers at your back to help you learn how to promote your new business before and well after launch! So, let’s take a look at what kind of marketing support our franchisor team provides to our franchisees and meet the latest pair of Franchise Owners to join us – neither of which specialized in marketing but are still confident their Toastique Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar will thrive in their Pittsburgh neighborhood! How Toastique Supports Owners with Their Marketing Needs Your Initial Onboarding & Training After you officially sign on to become our newest Franchise Owner, one of your first tasks, in addition to finding the perfect location, will be to jump into our onboarding process and training courses. Our initial 2-week training program consists of 18 hours in a classroom and 174 hours of on-the-job training at one of our Washington, D.C. locations, as well as on-site at your location. During this time, you’ll learn about all the day-to-day things, like recipes, ingredients, inventory, management, employee training, and more. However, you’ll also be guided through your other high-level duties, including grand opening assistance and ordering, in addition to marketing. Our Organic Social Media Presence Our business model first generated over $1 million in sales in our first year of operation without any professional marketing, not just because our healthy breakfast menu is delicious and good for you but because of how aesthetically pleasing and incredibly Instagrammable our food is! It has the “wow” factor that makes snapping that Instagram photo impossible to resist. People eat with their eyes first, so the artistic presentation of our menu items naturally results in a tastier experience and free marketing for Franchise Owners. This built-in marketing makes having an organic social media presence easy because user-generated content (UGC) takes much of the heavy lifting off your plate and lets your Instagram followers and fans generate interest for you. With Toastique, we give each location independent ownership over its own Facebook page so you can interact with your local community and promote your location. Our Ongoing Support Systems Once you’ve successfully launched and your average day is spent running and overseeing your thriving Toastique location, our team will continue to provide extensive support when you need it. We know that marketing is an aspect of business that needs weekly – if not daily – consideration, but we know that’s a huge ask of Franchise Owners when they’re focusing on the other daily needs of their business. That’s why we have an internal marketing team with over 12 years of experience in advertising and digital marketing to assist all of our Franchise Owners with their grand opening campaigns, as well as provide current and new marketing assets. Marketing Made Easy for Owners of Any Experience Level Our most successful Owners come from all walks of life and bring all kinds of backgrounds to restaurant franchise ownership. The systems we’ve put in place – including our marketing strategies – were developed specifically so anyone could learn, no matter how much marketing experience they may have. This rings especially true for the newest Franchise Owner couple to join us, both of whom are bringing expertise outside marketing to make sure they’re successful with their new business! Please Welcome the Owners Bringing Toastique to Pittsburgh: Chrissy & Brad Sileo! Their Community-Involved Background Before making the commitment to become a Franchise Owner, Chrissy Sileo has most recently spent her time teaching yoga at a small boutique after getting her certification in 2021 and recently becoming an empty nester with her husband, Brad. For much of the past 20 years, she split her time between being a stay-at-home mother and teaching at her children’s preschool and volunteering with various organizations involved with their schooling, like the PTA and hockey team. On the other hand, Brad is bringing his prior business ownership experience to their Toastique after developing and selling his company in the software engineering space five years ago. Today, he continues to advise and act as an investor to tech start-ups part-time while also teaching scuba lessons in his free time. While Chrissy plans to act as the majority manager of their new joint business venture, Brad still plans to be involved in a big way will he maintains his existing part-time work. Choosing a Franchise Opportunity Chrissy had always wanted to start a business of her own, especially after seeing the freedom that was possible when Brad was running his company. However, the pair realized they didn’t want to reinvent the wheel and chose to instead look at the established investment opportunities of the franchise world – but with all the options available to them, how could they pinpoint which industry to join? During her college years, Chrissy worked in and around food service and recognized her passion not only for the industry but the platform it could give her to promote a healthy, fresh lifestyle. So, in 2016, the Sileos began looking into healthy restaurant franchises, first starting with Vitality Bowls, then moving on when they couldn’t find the right fit – until they stumbled upon Toastique Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar. Why They Chose Our Healthy Toast & Juice Bar Concept When Brad and Chrissy were first introduced to Toastique, the pair quickly felt the healthy breakfast menu was a perfect match with the diet and lifestyle they like to keep. Once Chrissy had the chance to try the items for herself after dropping her son off at college in Denver, she knew it was the type of business she could see herself and Brad introducing to Pittsburgh. Then, when the Sileos weren’t able to find a negative or red flag during their D.C. Approval Day visit, they felt like everything was aligning to show that they’d found the right franchise for them. Sitting Down for a 1-on-1 with Chrissy As the Sileos find the perfect spot for Toastique’s first Pittsburgh location, the couple is busy preparing for their new venture – and their first business together! In between training on the Toastique system and deciding how the pair will distribute their ownership tasks, Chrissy sat down with us for a quick Q&A session to hear more about her perspective on the entire franchise process. Was there anything about Approval Day or meeting Toastique’s team that stuck out to you? Chrissy: “I will say Brad and I were both just extremely impressed with both Brianna and Kyle. [We] loved the look and the feel of the locations, loved the product they were serving. One of the things that stood out was when we would walk into a location and the employees saw them walking in, they didn’t seem to change their behavior and get nervous. We’ve all had those jobs where we’re like, ‘Oh no, the boss is here. I better look like I’m really working.’ [But] everybody just seemed truly happy to see them and seemed very comfortable. I liked that feel. People seemed to think that was a good place to be and a good place to work.” Did you have a favorite item that you tried on the menu? C: “I loved the Acai Bowl I had in DC [that] I didn’t [try] when I was in Colorado. So, I fell in love with the toast in Colorado and loved [it] again in D.C., but when I had the Acai Bowl, I absolutely loved it! I eat a lot of Acai Bowls, so I felt like I had more of a basis to compare, and yeah – I loved it, but I loved the toast, [too]. The burrata toast is fantastic. We loved the toast of the month; when we were there, it was a chorizo and sweet potato seasonal toast, and that was amazing. I will say [that] everything we tried I’ve absolutely loved. I thought it was all delicious!” What excites you most about getting your Toastique location open? C: “Getting to eat it [and] bringing the concept to Pittsburgh. I will say [that] 99% of the people we have told about it are super excited and [say they] can’t wait for this to come. I have so many people [saying], ‘You’ve got to put it here; this is where it has to go.’ So, now I’m just ready to find the location so that we can get it up and running. I can’t wait to have it!” If you’re prepared to ditch corporate life for a healthy, profitable franchise after learning about how our team supports Franchise Owners with marketing, or you’re ready to start the franchise process after seeing how Brad and Chrissy did it, you’re in the right place. Our gourmet toast and juice bar business model is built for health (and wealth!) focused people, whether you have restaurant experience or not! Take the first step in becoming the newest Franchise Owner to join the Toastique team by completing our 1-minute qualification quiz to get started.
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3 Reasons to Open a Health-Focused Restaurant & the New Couple Bringing Toastique to California
3 Reasons to Open a Health-Focused Restaurant & the New Couple Bringing Toastique to California There are thousands of franchise investment opportunities across hundreds of industries available to the average entrepreneur, so how can you decide which is right for you and the goals you have for your financial future? Each franchise model may have its merits, but few come with the same industry outlook as healthy food offerings like Toastique. Today, we’ll give you the three biggest reasons why you should consider opening a gourmet toast and juice bar in your community and how our franchise will help you make that happen. Plus, we’ll give you a sneak peek into our chat with the newest couple who saw the benefits of joining the Toastique franchise and can’t wait to bring our gourmet toast and juice bar concept to one of the hottest markets in the country: Los Angeles, California! The Top 3 Reasons to Open a Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar Consumers are increasingly seeking out nutritious “grab-and-go” dining options, and as the desire for healthy food options continues to grow, Toastique is benefiting from its unique health-focused concept. A growing number of people are looking for food transparency in their menus, and we candidly display the derivative of our ingredients, as they are all locally sourced, prepared in-house, and all-natural. Just three years after opening healthy franchise opportunities up to territories across the country, we’ve grown quickly and awarded over 160 new locations, showing just how popular the healthy breakfast industry has become and how Toastique is meeting the demand! Demand for Health & Wellness Foods Has Exploded More people are paying a premium for the healthiest available option, especially in response to so many widespread health events publicized in recent decades. While the global market for health and wellness foods was estimated at $861.1 billion in 2022, it is projected to reach and quickly exceed $1.6 trillion by 2030. Considering the steady growth of this sector, it’s clear this isn’t an isolated trend but a global shift in demand that will continue well into the future. Pandemic & Recession Resistant With the instability we’ve all seen across industries spanning the globe, especially at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only good business sense to be wary of industries that could easily be disrupted by a recession or another pandemic-level event. However, healthy food concepts like Toastique have been considered recession-resilient in recent years because people tend to prioritize their health even during times of economic downturn. Additionally, the events of the COVID-19 pandemic led to surging demand for organic and sustainable foods as consumers become more conscious of the relationship between good nutrition and their health. Sustainability is a Consumer Demand, Not Just a Buzzword When the concept of sustainability first became a talking point in both business and general conversation, it was a luxury idea that much of the population either assumed was an unnecessary expense or was too far out of reach to consider thinking about. However, as consumer demands have always changed with time, sustainability has become a non-negotiable across many industries, with restaurants and other food sectors feeling the shift most. In a 2019 study, researchers found that 41% of Generation Z and 32% of Millennials claim that they would “pay a premium for sustainably sourced ingredients,” and this has only grown since. How Toastique Differentiates Itself in the Market Toastique’s flagship location experienced this success without any marketing – just the passion and drive of two visionaries with a dream. They were able to replicate this sustainable business model with continued success at their second, third, and fourth locations, solidifying to them that Toastique was a solid concept with the potential for nationwide popularity! However, this is not just your typical juice, smoothie, and bowl bar that we’re all familiar with. Our franchise has differentiated itself from the very beginning with our unique gourmet toast creations, showing that healthy, on-the-go doesn’t have to be boring. At Toastique, we’re seeing thousands of people get excited about the state of our industry and our unique model, but if there’s anyone who can be a cheerleader for the organic food industry and launch their own successful gourmet toast and juice bar, it’s our newest pair of Owners: Kristin and Billy Calderwood! Please join us in welcoming our newest California Franchisees to our system while we dive into more about them and their journey to becoming first-time Franchise Owners. Introducing Kristin & Billy Calderwoods, the Latest Couple to Bring Toastique to LA! The Calderwood’s Professional & Personal Life Billy and Kristin have shared a career in ministry, most recently as the co-lead pastors of Media City Church in Burbank, CA. Together, the Calderwoods built a program for people looking to start new ministry expressions without the same obstacles as those who open churches on their own, allowing Billy to still work with over 1600 churches across the country. On the other hand, Kristin dedicated much of her professional capacity to a career in both non-profits and accounting firms, often working as a bookkeeper. While she recently paused her career to take care of their son after his recent Lyme disease diagnosis, Kristin is ready to return to work. With her most fulfilling professional moments being those where she was able to bring a creative community-involved approach to her work, Kristin chose to search for a business that would allow her to prioritize these skills in conjunction with her existing accounting know-how. Discovering our Gourmet Toast Franchise When Kristin decided she was ready to start searching for a franchise business to join, her initial thought was to look into Crumbl Cookies just because she enjoys their product. However, following her recent experience of helping her son through his new health journey following his diagnosis, she recognized there was another direction she could go: “My son went through a really difficult health journey in the last two and a half years, so we changed [the] trajectory of our family to more health and wellness, and I became very aware of the food that we’re eating, and eating clean, and checking for pesticides. All those things I was living in oblivion before.” Upon joining the franchise search, the Calderwoods came across the Toastique brand after seeing an advertisement online. While they could have done what many do and easily scrolled on, something about it caught Kristin’s eye and encouraged the husband and wife duo to conduct some research of their own. After that moment, they never looked back. Meeting the Toastique Team & Looking Forward As with all our franchisee candidates, Kristin made the trip to Washington, D.C., for Approval Day, where she met our entire support team, including our Founder, Kyle and Brianna. During her time there, she got to know more about the intention behind the Toastique brand, the healthy franchise’s vision for the future, and how Kristin and her husband could mirror the same welcoming culture in their own location. With this, the Calderwoods returned home to sign their paperwork and officially become the next couple to bring Toastique to Los Angeles! Kristin’s Thoughts on Joining the Toastique Franchise While Kristin has taken the lead on opening one of LA’s first Toastique locations, both she and her husband are putting in the work to get launched and start building the perfect team for their new gourmet toast and juice bar! Even with their busy schedule, Kristin still made time to sit down with our team to discuss everything from her first impressions of our franchise to her vision for the future. In your eyes, what set Toastique apart from other franchise investment opportunities you looked at? Kristin: “I really did get set on it once we saw it; nothing really got me excited the way that Toastique did. The ease of talking with people and the process up ‘til this point has been so great and so easy. [People have been] always answering my questions, always being available, [and] I felt Toastique was the right fit for me.” Has there been anything on the menu that stood out to you? K: “Everything was good, and I’m not a real big juice person, [but] my son juices a lot to help with his health journey, [so] I was really surprised that I liked almost all of them. ‘[Also], I’m excited that they’re incorporating alcohol. I think that can be really fun, especially narrowing in on that brunch crowd, bachelorette parties coming to brunch, and being able to serve those things. It’s been one happy surprise after the other as I’ve tried the menu. We also just went to the Balboa opening, where we tried a couple [of] other things. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised that everything tastes really good. Then I feel happy because I’m eating something healthy, too!” What about owning your own Toastique are you most excited about? K: “There are two things; [one is] building a really good team culture; that’s really exciting for me, that’s really important for me. Any team I’ve led, I feel like I want people to be excited to be there, and I know that excitement and joy and sense of family comes from me – it has to come from the top – so I’m really excited about building that culture within my team. Then, also, being able to bring that Toastique to LA is really important because this is prime time to have a restaurant like this that has quite a few different options – it’s not just a juice bar or just acai – but brings it all together. Getting into the community, helping build the Toastique brand, seeing name recognition with the different stores, and seeing it slowly build throughout LA is really exciting to me.” Are you looking for a way out of your unfulfilling corporate job? Our healthy, quick-service restaurant concept has helped hundreds of people – including Billy and Kristin Calderwood! – jumpstart the next stage of their lives and build wealth along the way, and it could be just the thing you need, too. With our industry’s exponential future growth on the horizon as it steps up to answer consumers’ demands for healthier, more sustainable food options, now is the best time to open your own Toastique breakfast franchise before someone else claims your territory! When you’re ready to start the franchising process, take our quick, 1-minute quiz to see if you qualify and learn about what territories are still available near you!
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