Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise.
From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
How Toastique Turned Healthy Eating Into a Daily Habit with Brianna Keefe
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Brianna Keefe, founder of Toastique, joins Zack Oates to discuss how she built a health-focused restaurant concept from one Washington, D.C. location into a rapidly growing franchise brand. Brianna shares why Toastique prioritizes owner-operators, how the brand creates value without compromising ingredient quality, and why the personal touch remains essential as the company scales.
Zack and Brianna discuss:
- Why Toastique chose an owner-operator franchise model
- How personal interactions create repeat guests
- Building consistency across a growing restaurant brand
- Why healthy food doesn't have to sacrifice experience
- Protecting ingredient quality despite cost pressures
- Why short-term savings can hurt a brand long-term
Thanks, Brianna!
Links:
https://www.instagram.com/toastique/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-keefe-4a735087/
Welcome And What We Do
SPEAKER_01Welcome to another edition of Give Novation, the Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast. I'm your host, Zach 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-na restaurants. Learn what's actually happening in your restaurants and exactly how to improve while driving revenue. Learn more at ovationup.com.
Meet Toastique Founder Brianna Keefe
SPEAKER_01And 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 Toastique at 24. She's D1 athlete, super into healthy foods, didn't see something in the market that would fit her needs. 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.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much, Zach. I'm happy to be here.
SPEAKER_01So, first of all, for those who don't know, what sport
Athlete Mindset And Early Career
SPEAKER_01did you play?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So I did diving and all-star cheering in high school. And then when I went to college, I did cheering full-time.
SPEAKER_01And a lot of people think that cheering is just like clapping hands. You look at these D one cheerleaders. It is like my cousins were their 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.
SPEAKER_00Well, 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. It was those four years in college.
SPEAKER_01So you leave college and you're like, hey, I want to start a restaurant. How does that come to be?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, the initial thing, I 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. 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 of 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. Um, 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. I would say I was a little naive, but that was my mentality. So yeah, 24 started our very first toastique to create myself a job. I knew I was going to love it because I loved hospitality. I loved basically the Toast Seek menu is how I always fueled myself. And I just felt like there was a really big demand for it in DC. 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. 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.
SPEAKER_01Well,
Franchising Without Losing The Details
SPEAKER_01the 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 DC empire, and then going franchising, that's like a lot of founders, they're like, I can't do it, I'm gonna lose control. What was it that convinced you that that was the right move?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 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 gonna care more? Who's gonna do a better job representing Toast Eak, a manager we hire to send across the country, or someone that has the same passions that we do, that is already embedded in a community that has their time, money, reputation involved, 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 the whole area, but ToeSeek 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. 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 a staple 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.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love that. And I think that's such a great way to do it. And you see brands um 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, everyone knows the GM is where the rubber meets the road, but the franchisees 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
Guilty Pleasures And Menu Favorites
SPEAKER_01wild streak in them. And so, Brian, I gotta ask you your favorite junk food. You gotta have something. And I do want to get your favorite healthy thing on the totique menu, but I also want to know what your favorite junk food is.
SPEAKER_00My 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 Reese cups because they just knew I loved them so much. And that really comes from my love of peanut butter. That's kind of where it all started. And funny enough, we actually make like a healthier peanut butter cup in Toastique. We use raw dark chocolate and the inside's just peanut states and a little maple syrup. So it's kind of like a healthier version now for like a sweet treat.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I'm assuming that's not your favorite thing on the Toastique menu, though.
SPEAKER_00It's not, it's not, even though I do love it, but I love our Avocau Smash. It's 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.
SPEAKER_01Love 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 get 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 Toast Eek, it's really impressive to see the love that you get at each of your locations. And I think that speaks to your guest experience.
The Personal Touch That Drives Returns
SPEAKER_01And so I'd love to understand what do you think is the most important aspect of guest experience nowadays?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think I mean, we've made culture and experience a priority from day one. You know, I was in our first store every day open and closed 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 to create themselves a job, but really in the first year, that's your building year. You're laying the foundation for not only that store, but your future store's success. So really being bet in that and with that, it's having the 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 in their community, 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, but what can I get for you? Then you're probably not gonna 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 Toastique.
SPEAKER_01Love 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 at Toastique, 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. 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?
SPEAKER_00Exactly. 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 Toastek into their daily lives because we do have a product that people can eat every day and still feel great about themselves. But how do we do that? By owe it consistency, consistency in the recipe, the presentation, also the experience as well.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, love that. And so as you're thinking about creating that consistency in guest experience, any tactics that you've used to improve the guest experience?
Loyalty And Digital Touch Points
SPEAKER_00I think there's been a few over the years. Um, 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 touch point 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, 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 touch point digitally without removing the actual like in-person kind of touch points.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Now, with that, did you build your own app?
SPEAKER_00You said no, no, no. We uh work with Patronics. Um they do our our app and online ordering and gift cards and loyalty.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Yeah, because when you said building, I was like, wait a second.
SPEAKER_00Like you guys No, it's customizable, but no, maybe one day in the future we can build it from scratch. That would be pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, love that.
Protecting Quality When Budgets Tighten
SPEAKER_01Well, 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 gonna save a couple bucks if I'm going to McDonald's value menu than if I'm going to Toastique, but I'm obviously eating much healthier. 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 DC, there's a lot of talk about all sorts of policies there. Yes. How do you strike that balance?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, 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 in-house. All of our juice is made in-house, our avocado smash is made with fresh avocados that we could buy pre-package 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, we 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 the 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 sorbetes or, you know, preservatives or things like that. 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 they really feel and understand the value more than just the food and the price itself.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it'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, Brianna, can we just like get a bucket from of this from Cisco? And you were like, No. Any examples of that?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, I get that pressure a lot.
SPEAKER_01Um and you know, sometimes especially having franchisees, I'm sure they're like, look, we could do this for 30% cheaper if we go this route, right?
SPEAKER_00Yes, 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 pre-packaging, 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. And that's what Scott said from Chipotle. And and I that really resonated with me because it is so important, but that's what our clientele cares about. Like we there is a local juice bar in DC that went from all glass bottles, switched 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. So we definitely get a lot of feedback. So it's 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.
SPEAKER_01Love 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 brand. So powerful.
Shout Outs And How To Follow
SPEAKER_01Now, Brianna, who deserves innovation? Who is someone that we should be following?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I know kind of the obvious answer is Danny Myers. And but that's truly someone that I think has shaped hospitality and 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. Because that's how you create loyalty and just trust within the brand. And I also think all the franchise owners, you know, not just when within Toastique, but also franchise 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 Danning Myers that always deserve an ovation.
SPEAKER_01Amen. Love Danny. Obviously, I keep him right over my shoulder. He's my little angel, reminding me about hospitality. So, Brianna, how can people find and follow you and Toasek?
SPEAKER_00Yes, so Toasik, Instagram and TikTok is just at Toasek. Make it super easy. We have local pages on Facebook as well. And mine is just Brianna Keith on Instagram, LinkedIn as well.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Well, Brianna, for being a cheerleader for the guest experience, today's ovation goes to you. Thank you for joining us on Give an Ovation.
SPEAKER_00Thank you so much, Zag. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_01Thanks for joining us today. If you like 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 ovationup.com.