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!