Introducing Toastique to Ann Arbor, MI with Legacy Driven Candace Kovar!
We’ll never get tired of saying it – the Toastique breakfast franchise continues to grow, and what was once just a single gourmet toast and juice bar in Washington, D.C. continues to blow all expectations out of the water! Together with our dozens of Franchise Owners and stellar corporate team, we’re continuing to expand well past our northeast home base and making healthy brunch options more and more accessible for millions of people across the country.
Even with all this growth, we still love to stop and celebrate every little win and new Franchise Owner, so this month, we’re excited to welcome a new, devoted health-food lover to our family: Candace Kovar! We can’t wait to tell you all about the family she’s built and sees as her motivation, her passion for bringing a healthy option to her community, and how she made the jump into entrepreneurship. So, grab your favorite smoothie or cold-pressed juice, and let us introduce you to our newest breakfast restaurant Franchise Owner.
Let’s Get to Know Candace Kovar, the Newest Addition to the Toastique Franchise!
From a Family in Franchising to a Degree in Clinical Psychology
Unlike many people that take the leap to join the franchise world, Candace Kovar came to us with a history in franchising; her family owned their fair share of pizza franchises, so she was introduced to the franchise industry as a child, growing up in the stores and learning the ins and outs of the business from an early age. Once she became old enough, she worked her way through the positions of a store up to an Executive Assistant role, where she helped her mother and watched her become a strong, independent businesswoman in her own right.
After high school, Candace made her way to college, where she earned her Bachelors, then Masters degree in clinical psychology, meeting her husband, Austin, along the way. Leaning on the knowledge she learned during her college years, she provided her community with services that allowed her to work with people of all ages and ranges of mental illnesses for over seven years. During this time, she also created multiple programs and assessments for the behavioral health department of her organization. This way, she could make an impact on her community through the work that continues since her absence, in addition to the community-based events and outreach she also participated in.
Now, Candace is ready to shift her career and build a successful business for herself, just as she saw her mother do as a child. As a new mother herself, Candace is driven by the goal to provide that same experience her mother provided to her and instill a passion for entrepreneurship in her own daughter.
Candace & Her Personal Life
Getting to Know Toastique
At the beginning of the pandemic, Candace began looking into business and franchise opportunities with the dream of adding to her family’s future and creating a legacy for herself. As her search led her to us, Candace followed her instincts to our Instagram where she saw creative, delicious menu items and a clean, healthy brand vibe that she could immediately picture herself in.
From the products to the processes, Candace saw her passion for health and wellness finding a home in her own Toastique Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar and giving her the outlet she could use to impact and help her community thrive. After seeing the same excitement in her husband, the couple decided to make a move and reach out to start their own Toastique healthy breakfast franchise journey.
The more time Candace spent exploring Toastique as a potential future for herself and her family, the more she loved the boutique feel in every aspect of our franchise brand. She appreciated our founder, Brianna, and the mission she brought to the table as she grew her first few breakfast restaurant locations to the major franchise it is today. Candace sees Brianna’s passion and drive and found that even the cost of a Toastique breakfast franchise opportunity was well worth it ten times over and is motivated to bring this same passion to Michigan, a relatively untapped market in the health and wellness industry.
“Gourmet toast is desired, as well as juices and smoothies, and I know Ann Arbor is the perfect fit [for Toastique] to call home,” Candace enthused in a recent interview just after she was awarded her territory.
Love of Conscious, Healthy Living
As with all of us, Candace is no stranger to the disheartening feeling of paying top dollar and having high expectations, only to ultimately be met with a meal full of fillers, additives, and disappointment. So, as she learned the importance our founders Brianna and Kyle place on sourcing local produce, even those that aren’t “picture perfect,” she loved to hear that she will be able to make healthy food options accessible, while also getting the chance to work with farmers local to the Ann Arbor area.
Meeting the Toastique Franchise Team
Moving forward in the franchise process, Candace had the opportunity to meet Brianna and our corporate team, as well as attend an Approval Day, and she had only positive things to say about the process!
With her love of businesswomen stemming from her relationship with her mother, Candace gushed about our founders, saying,
“Brianna is an incredible example of a lady-boss. She is humble, kind, and an extremely hard worker – all qualities I see in myself and would want to partner with. Running multiple businesses as a young female is so inspiring, and again bringing it back to my daughter, such a great example of what to strive for.”
“Kyle is driven, and equally as hard working, wears so many hats, and manages to keep you feeling a part of the family. Our time spent with [the founders] over video calls and in DC has been so personal and welcoming. The whole team makes you feel like you’re a part of a fast-growing community and they just want to have your back – I haven’t felt ‘alone’ in this process at all, it’s comforting and exciting!”
When Approval Day came around and Candace had the opportunity to learn the entire Toastique process – from observing the operations process to seeing the facilities and learning about the build-out–she found herself and her husband even more aligned with the healthy franchise brand than before. The couple loved the way Brianna and Kyle connected with their customers and employees and plan to emulate the same presence that our founders have with each breakfast restaurant franchise location.
After sampling the menu and recognizing that everything tasted as delicious as they looked online, Candace and Austin returned home craving more. Luckily, there’s more gourmet toast and health-focused recipes on the horizon for them as they dive into brunch franchise ownership and join the Toastique family this year! Needless to say, we can’t wait to see how Candace and Austin leverage their lifetime of experiences and drive to build something for themselves and their daughter as they join the Toastique Healthy Franchise family!
Hear What Candace Had to Say in Our Recent Chat
After awarding Candace her very own Toastique Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar franchise, we sat down with her to get to know her perspective on her Toastique journey so far and what she’s most excited about moving forward!
Why did you want to become an entrepreneur?
Candace: “First, because I feel the call to be my own boss and to make a difference in others’ lives. Second, I have the drive to be the best version of myself, for me, and to be the best example I can for my daughter. Being a female entrepreneur can show her that she can do whatever she wants in this life, that hard work is nothing to fear, and if you enjoy every minute of what you do, life will forever be full.”
In your eyes, what sets Toastique apart from other franchise business opportunities in the fast-casual food industry?
C: “Toastique is so beautiful, unique, and detail-oriented. When compared to other franchises, Toastique sets the bar at the top. The quality of ingredients and presentation, as well as the operation of this franchise, sets it apart from any other opportunity I’ve come across.”
What was the “a-ha” or “lightbulb” moment that made you want to franchise with Toastique?
C: “There were many A-ha moments. One [was] the first time I laid eyes on Toastique’s social media and saw their style [and] charming uniqueness. The moment that really sealed the deal, that I knew I wanted to be a part of this business, was my husband [and my] first video meeting with Brianna. That meeting allowed me to see the vision that Brianna has for the business and her values, which spoke directly to me. I felt understood as a franchisee, wanting the utmost attention to detail.”
What are you looking forward to most about owning your own Toastique breakfast restaurant?
C: “Being proud to say I own a Toastique. To have something that is mine, my family’s, [and] my daughter’s. It’s so important to my husband and I to share experiences with our daughter, and this will be the best adventure of our lives!”
What advice would you give to a potential Franchise Owner?
C: “Be confident in your abilities: it’s advice I give to myself whenever I start to feel nervous about the next step or about the future. I remind myself how capable I am of being successful and that I have the skills, and will gain so many more new skills, to help thrive in any environment. There are many hats, but if we wear them well [and] have an incredible team, we can get through it and grow into the best franchise owner you’ve ever imagined.”Are you ready to join Candace and take the leap of faith that leads you to open your very own Toastique Gourmet Toast & Juice Bar franchise and bring healthy food alternatives to your community? With just a ten-minute call, you might find the business opportunity your life has been needing and the delicious food your stomach has been craving. See what’s made Toastique so special (and successful!) and talk to our team to get started today.