In this episode, host Jaime Oikle interviews Brianna Keefe, founder and CEO of Toastique, a fast casual wellness cafe with over 65 locations across 25 states. Brianna shares how her background as a college athlete inspired the concept, how she bootstrapped the first location in Washington D.C., and how organic customer demand led to franchising. The conversation covers franchise partner selection, store sizing, in-house food preparation, transparency, customer experience, loyalty programs, and community-driven marketing. Brianna also discusses future growth plans, aiming to reach 100 units, while maintaining quality and brand integrity. For more visit https://toastique.com/ and https://www.runningrestaurants.com/
**** Timestamps
The Toastique Origin Story (00:00:56)
Brianna Keefe explains how her experience as a college athlete led to the creation of Toastique for healthy food.
Bootstrapping the First Location (00:03:58)
Brianna discusses starting the business at 24, self-funding with partners, and leveraging their different skills to launch the first store.
From One Store to Franchising (00:06:23)
High customer demand and foot traffic at the first D.C. location validated the concept and sparked the idea to franchise.
Franchise Partner Strategy (00:09:22)
The discussion covers how they find and select passionate, owner-operator franchise partners and the importance of protecting the brand during growth.
Finding the Right Location (00:12:11)
Brianna details their ideal store size (1200-1500 sq ft) and the focus on demographics with higher household incomes.
The Importance of In-House Food (00:15:43)
The focus is on making most items in-house, using quality ingredients, and the transparency of their fresh, healthy menu.
Sharing the Brand Story (00:17:08)
How employees personally engage with customers and the open-kitchen concept are key to sharing the brand's story and values.
Marketing and Loyalty Programs (00:19:19)
The use of an app-based loyalty program to reward customers, offer birthday perks, and re-engage patrons is explained.
Lessons from Sweetgreen (00:21:39)
Brianna shares her admiration for Sweetgreen's ability to build a lifestyle brand and create strong community and emotional connections.
Advice for a Younger Self (00:24:35)
Reflecting on early challenges, Brianna discusses the difficulties of expanding nationally too quickly without established brand awareness in new markets.
Challenges of Being a Young Founder (00:26:10)
Brianna talks about the initial struggle of being a young woman in business and gaining credibility with investors and landlords.
Sources of Inspiration (00:28:00)
Inspiration comes from listening to customers, franchise partners, and reading books like "Unreasonable Hospitality" to improve as a leader.
Future Growth Plans (00:31:00)
The company is on track to hit the 100-unit mark next year, focusing on brand awareness and core product offerings.
How to Find Out More (00:32:12)
Brianna shares the company's website and social media handles for listeners who want to learn more about the brand.
Sponsor Link: https://servicewithstyle.com/runningrestaurants
Sponsor Link: https://www.theleasecoach.com