Brianna Keefe, founder of Toastique, has built the brand around the idea that healthy food, strong hospitality, and community connection should all work together. What started as a single location in Washington, D.C. has grown into a rapidly expanding franchise concept, but Brianna remains focused on protecting the details that made Toastique successful in the first place. In this conversation with Zack Oates, she explains why consistency, owner involvement, and refusing to sacrifice quality for short-term savings are essential to building lasting guest loyalty.

Why Owner-Operators Matter (04:11)

“Who’s going to care more?”

Brianna explains why Toastique chose to grow through franchisees who are personally invested in their communities rather than simply hiring managers to oversee distant locations.

Making Every Interaction Personal (07:40)

“People want to support people.”

For Brianna, a great product isn’t enough. Owner presence, personal interactions, and community relationships help turn a restaurant visit into something guests want to repeat.

Consistency Creates Habits (09:49)

“How do we do that? By consistency.”

Toastique wants to become part of guests’ everyday routines, whether that’s their morning coffee, lunch, or afternoon smoothie. Brianna explains why consistent recipes, presentation, and service are critical to making that happen.

Quality Over Cutting Costs (12:09)

“We’re really focused on quality and transparency.”

Brianna discusses Toastique’s commitment to making products in-house and using ingredients guests can trust, even when less expensive alternatives are available.

Don’t Sacrifice the Future for Today (14:00)

“Don’t make short term decisions that affect long term.”

Facing pressure to reduce costs, Brianna explains why Toastique won’t make temporary changes that could undermine the brand’s quality and reputation over time.

Who Deserves an Ovation? (15:36)

Brianna gives an ovation to Danny Meyer for his influence on modern hospitality and his focus on people, teams, communities, and creating experiences that build loyalty. She also recognizes franchise owners who show up every day to represent their brands within their local communities.

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/toastique/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-keefe-4a735087/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/toastique/

https://toastique.com/

Transcript

00:00:00:12 – 00:00:26:00

Zack Oates

Welcome to another edition of Give An Ovation, the Restaurant Guest Experience podcast. I’m your host, Zack Oates, and each week I chat with industry experts to uncover their strategies and tactics to help you create a five star guest experience. This podcast is powered by ovation, the AI feedback and operations platform built for multi-year restaurants. Learn what’s actually happening in your restaurants and exactly how to improve while driving revenue.

00:00:26:01 – 00:00:50:04

Zack Oates

Learn more at ovation. Up! And today, we have someone who is just a growing legend in this space. Years from now, we’re going to be like, oh my gosh, we had Brianna Keefe on this podcast. I can’t believe it. Brianna Keefe started toasty at 24. She’s D1 athlete super into healthy foods. Didn’t see something in the market that would fit her needs.

00:00:50:05 – 00:01:01:22

Zack Oates

Started building this location. Ended up building an incredible brand. Now up to 60 locations live, tons more opening all around the country. Brianna, welcome to the podcast.

00:01:01:24 – 00:01:04:14

Brianna Keefe

Thank you so much, Zach. I’m happy to be here.

00:01:04:16 – 00:01:08:09

Zack Oates

So first of all, for those who don’t know, what sport did you play?

00:01:08:11 – 00:01:15:22

Brianna Keefe

Yes. So I did diving and I’ll start hearing in high school. And then when I went to college I did cheering full time.

00:01:15:22 – 00:01:35:12

Zack Oates

And a lot of people think that cheering is just like clapping hands. You look at these do wind cheerleaders. It is like my cousins were there were twins and they were both cheerleaders at BYU. And it is wild how in shape and how athletic you have to be to do cheer. It’s like probably one of the hardest sports there is in college.

00:01:35:14 – 00:01:47:02

Brianna Keefe

Well, thanks. Yeah, it was super intense and we even had mandatory lifting days on top of practice and games. And honestly, it was the best shape that I’ve ever been in. I was those four years in college.

00:01:47:02 – 00:01:53:16

Zack Oates

So you leave college and you’re like, hey, I want to start a restaurant. How does that come to be?

00:01:53:18 – 00:02:19:01

Brianna Keefe

Yeah, I mean, the initial thing, I graduated with a hospitality degree and a minor in business. I actually started in health science to be a dietitian. And ultimately I had a colleague that was like, don’t do it. It’s not fun. Keep that as a hobby. Do something that you you also enjoy. So basically my you know, I’ve always loved nutrition and I always loved hospitality.

00:02:19:01 – 00:02:37:03

Brianna Keefe

So after college I was in hotels, I worked in events in hotels. And it’s always a good starting point, I think, for hospitality students, because you can do a little bit everything. You know, you got restaurants, events, front desk, whatever. But I was only working for a hotel for about a year and a half, and I just couldn’t see the vision.

00:02:37:05 – 00:02:59:11

Brianna Keefe

And I was working very hard and we had a lot of cool opportunities. But ultimately I didn’t want to be a GM of a hotel. And so I decided I was like, what do I have to lose? I’m 24, I love serving, so worst case, if something fails, I can go back and be a server because it was quick money, good money, and I could figure it out from there.

00:02:59:11 – 00:03:19:03

Brianna Keefe

I would say I was a little naive, but that was my mentality. So yeah, 24 started our very first toastie to create myself a job. I knew I was going to love it because I loved hospitality. I loved basically the toasted menu is how I always feel myself, and I just felt like there was a really big demand for in DC.

00:03:19:06 – 00:03:37:09

Brianna Keefe

And so being able to share just, you know, about our menu that’s very transparent. No added sugar, sweeteners, anything like that made me proud and made me want to talk about it and share it with the community. So yes, it started to create myself a job that was the vision, but then blew up into so much more of that.

00:03:37:09 – 00:03:48:14

Brianna Keefe

Being in a very touristy place like DC, we had people from all over the world really, and the country just validating the concept and the rest is history, I guess is what they say.

00:03:48:19 – 00:04:07:24

Zack Oates

Well, the rest is the future, quite frankly. Right. Because, I mean, you’ve got a lot going on. What was the thought process like to go into franchising? Because here you are. You have this control. You’re building your DCM pyre and then going franchising. That’s like a lot of founders. They’re like, I can’t do it. I’m going to lose control.

00:04:08:01 – 00:04:11:02

Zack Oates

What was it that convinced you that that was the right move?

00:04:11:04 – 00:04:35:01

Brianna Keefe

Yeah, it was a hard debate because I, I mean, even still, I am a perfectionist. And so in my eyes, I was looking at it, okay, who’s going to care more. Who’s going to do a better job representing a manager we hire to send across the country, or someone that has the same passions that we do that is already embedded, a community that has their time, money, reputation involved.

00:04:35:05 – 00:04:54:13

Brianna Keefe

They should care more than a manager. And so that was really the theory. And we’ve been approached before with people with a lot of money that want to develop pool area. But Tosi is all about the details, all about the community aspect of it, really putting a personal touch on every single experience, every single person that comes in.

00:04:54:14 – 00:05:27:22

Brianna Keefe

We want them to feel great and not just that it’s a transaction. So that’s how we’ve grown through franchising, you know, working with owner operators that want to be the face of the store, that have a lot of leadership experience and really enjoy it. And that’s where we found the most success, is just having the passion, the discipline, of course, to show up every day and being part of the community, being as stable in the community, working with other local businesses and just creating this really great sense of community, not only within their store, but, you know, as they expand as well.

00:05:27:24 – 00:05:45:08

Zack Oates

Yeah, I love that. And I think that’s such a great way to do it. And you see brands also doing well, but maybe on the other end of the health spectrum, like Dave’s Hot Chicken, who have people that really care about these locations and they’re just amazing operators. And it makes all the difference, right? Especially when you’re franchising.

00:05:45:13 – 00:06:06:03

Zack Oates

Everyone knows the GM is where the rubber meets the road, but the franchisee is what creates really the culture of how that GM feels and what they’re enabled to do. So anyway, I think it’s so important. The thing I hear over and over and over again is, as you’re doing this, be so picky with your franchisees. That being said, I think everyone’s got a little bit of a wild streak in them.

00:06:06:03 – 00:06:17:15

Zack Oates

And so I got to ask you your favorite junk food. You got to have something. And I do want to get your favorite healthy thing on on the menu. But I also want to know what your favorite junk food is.

00:06:17:16 – 00:06:37:23

Brianna Keefe

My favorite junk food that if you ask my male school and high school friends Reese Cups. I think for every birthday that I have had since I, you know, could eat. People have always gifted me cups because they just knew I love them so much. And that really comes from my love of peanut butter. That’s kind of where it all started.

00:06:37:23 – 00:06:48:12

Brianna Keefe

And funny enough, we actually make like a healthier peanut butter cup. In toastie we use raw dark chocolate and the insides just peanut states in a little maple sirup. So it’s kind of.

00:06:48:13 – 00:06:50:15

Zack Oates

Like, oh wow, okay, there you go.

00:06:50:16 – 00:06:53:10

Brianna Keefe

A healthier version now for like, a sweet treat.

00:06:53:12 – 00:06:57:10

Zack Oates

Yeah, I’m assuming that’s not your favorite thing on the toast menu though.

00:06:57:12 – 00:07:12:04

Brianna Keefe

It’s not. It’s not even though I do love it, but I love our our avocado smash is our number one seller, but we make fresh marinated tomatoes on there, which I think that in itself is like the best part of the toast. And also our coffee. Our coffee is so, so good.

00:07:12:06 – 00:07:31:10

Zack Oates

Love that. Your menu. I think the great thing about it is it’s got such a variety on it and you can go in and get healthy, you can go in and a little bit of a treat. There’s something for a lot of people on there and seeing the reviews about how people feel about toastie, it’s really impressive to see the love that you get at each of your locations.

00:07:31:10 – 00:07:40:12

Zack Oates

And I think that speaks to your guest experience. And so I’d love to understand. What do you think is the most important aspect of guest experience nowadays?

00:07:40:14 – 00:08:00:02

Brianna Keefe

Yeah, I think I mean, we’ve made culture and experience a priority from day one. You know, I was in our first store everyday, open and close for the first year and a half, making sure everyone has that the best possible experience that they can. And we really expect that with our owners, you know, people are not doing this great themselves with job, but really in the first year, that’s your building year.

00:08:00:02 – 00:08:24:04

Brianna Keefe

You’re laying the foundation for not only that store, but your future storage success. So really being that in that and with that, it’s having that owner’s presence. You know, even if you have the best manager in the world, it’s still not exactly the same as having the owner in there. And at the end of the day, people want to support people, you know, if they can have a great coffee, great toast, great experience and know who they’re supporting their community.

00:08:24:05 – 00:08:47:02

Brianna Keefe

I think it really just ties everything together and that’s what we want. Building the team. The value in which people see a dining experience is not just in the dollar amount. It’s yes, you can have an amazing product, but if you don’t have a good experience, if whether it took too long, it was wrong or, you know, they just don’t even care to say anything.

00:08:47:02 – 00:09:05:22

Brianna Keefe

But what can I get for you then you’re probably not going to go back. So I think really just giving every interaction a personal touch and really making it special and show the customers the value of their experience and why they want to keep choosing to dine at, to seek love.

00:09:05:22 – 00:09:40:23

Zack Oates

That because I think that’s so important to remember, because as we look at our data of retention, because you said come back and dine out to stick, right. As we look at our retention data a few years ago, 30% of first time guests would come back. Now that’s down to 20. And so as we look at how many people want to come and return to a place, you have got to have that value dialed in and you’ve got to have that consistency dialed in, because that is what brings that repeat visit and those customers, that retention rate, that is what yields your profits.

00:09:40:23 – 00:09:49:22

Zack Oates

You’re not outside of being on the strip. You’re not getting profitable based on first time customers. You got to get that repeat. Right, exactly.

00:09:49:22 – 00:10:09:19

Brianna Keefe

And it’s really being able to integrate our product, whether it’s a coffee every day or lunch every day, or their pick me up smoothie in the afternoon, like, whatever it is we really want them to integrate, to seek into their daily lives, because we do have a product that people can eat every day and still feel great about themselves.

00:10:09:19 – 00:10:18:05

Brianna Keefe

But how do we do that? By consistency. Consistency in the recipe, the presentation, also the experience as well.

00:10:18:07 – 00:10:27:19

Zack Oates

Yeah. Love that. And so as you’re thinking about creating that consistency and guest experience, any tactics that you’ve used to improve the guest experience?

00:10:27:20 – 00:10:52:11

Brianna Keefe

I think there’s been a few over the years. I think really with our loyalty program and our app that we have that we created, really being able to capture the patterns and being able to kind of provide that touchpoint even digitally. You know, I would say that our customers are they prefer the, you know, they want to order with a person, they want to ask recommendations or they come in there.

00:10:52:12 – 00:11:10:01

Brianna Keefe

Oh, I’m feeling a little sick. Like they like that interaction. So still being able to have that, but also reminding them that that we’re still here or what our seasonal specials are, or still having that touchpoint digitally without removing the actual like in-person kind of touchpoints.

00:11:10:06 – 00:11:13:22

Zack Oates

Yeah. Now with that, did you build your own app? You said.

00:11:13:24 – 00:11:22:00

Brianna Keefe

No, no, we work with patrons. Oh yeah. So they do our our app and online ordering and gift cards and loyalty.

00:11:22:02 – 00:11:27:10

Zack Oates

Awesome. Yeah. Because you said building. I was like, wait a second. Like you guys customizable.

00:11:27:10 – 00:11:31:22

Brianna Keefe

But no. Maybe one day in the future we can build it from scratch. That would be pretty cool.

00:11:32:01 – 00:11:53:10

Zack Oates

Yeah. Love that. Well, as we’re thinking about the guest experience and you’re thinking about what’s going on in today’s world, this health craze versus value conscious consumers, it is more expensive to eat healthy. I’m going to save a couple bucks. If I’m going to McDonald’s value menu, then if I’m going to seek. But I’m obviously eating much healthier.

00:11:53:10 – 00:12:09:10

Zack Oates

How do you look at that difference of like creating value? But also consumers are really pinched in the wallet, as I’m sure you know, being in D.C., there’s a lot of talk about all sorts of policies there. So how do you strike that balance?

00:12:09:12 – 00:12:26:01

Brianna Keefe

Yeah, I think for us it’s always staying true to who we are and holding the integrity of the brand, because of course, you know, there could be cheaper ways to go about it to make it cheaper for the customer. But then you’re sacrificing the quality, you know, like we’re making everything and all of our juice is made in-house.

00:12:26:02 – 00:12:58:23

Brianna Keefe

Our avocado smash is made with fresh avocados that we could buy prepackaged or hummus like, there’s so many things that we could, but we’re really focused on quality and transparency and being able to say, if you have any questions about what’s in any of our things, you can tell you, because we made it. And so I think really adding the value in what we talked about for is the experience, but also that education, you know, when people are coming in for the first time, there’s a lot of other cafes or juice bars that label themselves as healthy, but then they’re using sorbets or, you know, preservatives or things like that.

00:12:58:23 – 00:13:22:12

Brianna Keefe

So always kind of sharing, like our story and just what our menu is all about, because we do realize that’s what our clientele cares about. People that are spending money with us, they want high quality. They want a brand they can trust. So it’s really important to hold that and share that with them so they really feel and understand the value more than just the food and the price itself.

00:13:22:14 – 00:13:45:10

Zack Oates

Yeah, that’s so interesting because I’d love to hear. Are there any stories, any examples of you feeling the pressure to maybe get some commoditized piece of the product? And I know Avocado Smash probably isn’t where it was at, but I mean, are there anything where people are like, oh, Breanna, can we just like get a bucket from of this from Cisco?

00:13:45:10 – 00:13:48:12

Zack Oates

And you were like, no. Any examples of that?

00:13:48:13 – 00:13:53:03

Brianna Keefe

Honestly, I get that pressure a lot. And, you know, sometimes.

00:13:53:04 – 00:14:00:17

Zack Oates

I mean, especially having franchisees, I’m sure they’re like, look, we could do this for 30% cheaper if we go this route, right?

00:14:00:18 – 00:14:39:17

Brianna Keefe

Yes, yes. And you know, I it’s something that sometimes I’m like, am I making the right decision? But I actually was just at a conference and I heard the CEO of Chipotle speak and he kind of validated, don’t make short term decisions that affect long term. You know, like, yes, the economy is a little tough right now. But if we start making these short term things, switching to prepackaged, saying, switching, you know, we have really nice glass bottles that we have a recyclable return policy that where people can get cash back for it and start making shortcuts and short term decisions now is going to affect the brand and long term.

00:14:39:18 – 00:15:02:10

Brianna Keefe

And that’s what Scott said from Chipotle. And that really resonated with me because it is so important. But that’s what our clients held cares about. Like we there is a local G sparring DC that went from all glass bottles, switch to plastic and pasteurized them way cheaper. Do that way. And unfortunately all five of his locations shuttered because it’s just not the quality that customer wants.

00:15:02:10 – 00:15:22:11

Brianna Keefe

So we definitely get a lot of feedback. So it’s really, really saying like, what changes can be made that’s not going to affect the brand long term. But then also at the same time we’re being cost effective. And I think as we grow working with our vendors to get heavier bulk discounts as we open up more stores has really been our focus.

00:15:22:13 – 00:15:36:10

Zack Oates

Love that. I think that is such a smart way to go about it, and I love that concept. Don’t make the short term changes that are going to affect long term vision and brands so powerful. Now Breanna, who deserves an ovation, who is someone that we should be following?

00:15:36:16 – 00:15:58:20

Brianna Keefe

Yeah, I mean, I know kind of the obvious answer is Danny Meyers. And but that’s truly someone that I think has shaped hospitality and it has been a been big inspiration to me and just really focusing on the people team building, but also the community and just giving every person the best experience they possibly can. So that’s how you create loyalty and just trust within the brand.

00:15:58:20 – 00:16:24:15

Brianna Keefe

And they also think all the franchise owners, you know, not just when within toasty, but also branches owners, they’re the ones showing up every day for their team, for the brand, representing the brand and really putting love and heart to it at a local level in their community. So I think those would be the two people or one group of person, one group of people and Danny Meyers that always deserve an ovation.

00:16:24:21 – 00:16:35:17

Zack Oates

Amen. Love, Danny. Obviously, I keep him right over my shoulder. He’s my little angel reminding me about hospitality. So, Briana, how can people find and follow you and toe seek?

00:16:35:19 – 00:16:49:08

Brianna Keefe

Yes. So toe seek Instagram and TikTok is just at toasty. Make it super easy. We have local pages on Facebook as well and mine is just Briana Keefe on Instagram LinkedIn as well.

00:16:49:10 – 00:16:57:04

Zack Oates

Awesome. Well Briana, for being a cheerleader for the guest experience. Today’s ovation goes to you. Thank you for joining us on Giving Ovation.

00:16:57:06 – 00:17:00:12

Brianna Keefe

Thank you so much, zag. Thanks for having me.

00:17:00:14 – 00:17:22:07

Zack Oates

Thanks for joining us today. If you liked this episode, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite place to listen. We’re all about feedback here. Again, this episode was sponsored by ovation, a two question, SMS based, actionable guest feedback platform built for multi-unit restaurants. If you’d like to learn how we can help you measure and create a better guest experience, visit us at ovation.