North Carolina-based Famous Toastery announced May 2 it signed a franchise development agreement to bring five restaurants to Northeast Florida over the next four years.
It is a return to the area for the chain, which serves breakfast and lunch and offers specialty coffees and alcohol. It opened a restaurant in Jacksonville Beach in 2015. That restaurant is no longer operating.
The company said in a news release the first restaurant will open by year-end. It said in an email the locations have not been selected.
Famous Toastery said the Northeast Florida franchisees are Divyan Patel, Jeffrey Folckemer and Drew Van Zante.
Patel operates Planet Smoothie and Coldstone Creamery franchises in St. Johns County.
Patel said in a news release he has been involved in food-service operations for years.
He said Famous Toastery is a “breakfast and brunch restaurant model that offers incredible food and beverages, unrivaled customer service and a memorable guest experience to all ages and taste preferences.”
Folckemer has been a residential and commercial contractor for the past 10 years, as well as a Realtor.
Van Zante is co-owner of Kingdom Home Builders and the owner and operator of McDonald’s franchises in the St. Augustine area.
“Franchisees like Divyan, Jeffrey and Drew have joined Famous Toastery because of the continued popularity of brunch amongst consumers and the brand’s healthy profit margins and strong unit economics due to a single shift business concept,” Famous Toastery President Mike Sebazco said in the release.
The chain enters a market with many players in the breakfast-lunch arena.
They include First Watch, Grumpy’s, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Orange Blossoms, Canopy Road Cafe and Keke’s Breakfast Cafe. Toledo,Ohio-based Scramblers announced it was entering Northeast Florida in June.
Brian Burchill and Robert Maynard founded Famous Toastery in 2005 in Huntersville, North Carolina. It began franchising in 2013.
Famous Toastery has locations in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. Most locations are open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The chain said it plans to have 26 locations operating by the end of 2023, growing to 31 in 2024.
Menu items include omelets, pancakes, waffles and French toast along with sandwiches, burgers, wraps and salads.
At the Huntersville Famous Toastery, classic flapjacks are $15, omelets start at $13 and a half-pound burger is $13. Kids meals are $9.
It also offers specialty coffees and alcohol including mimosas, Bellinis and Irish coffees.