The Friendly Toast

What The Friendly Toast does

The Friendly Toast is a privately held, full-service all-day brunch and bar restaurant chain headquartered in Burlington, Vermont and founded in 1994 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The company operates 15 locations across five New England states (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont), serving individual consumers, families, and private event bookers with a scratch-made eclectic American comfort food menu featuring extensive gluten-friendly and vegan options. Differentiators include extended morning-to-evening service hours, retro-inspired interior design, and a community-engagement program called Friendly Fundraisers that has raised over $60,000 for eight nonprofits in a single year with matching support from Tito's Vodka.

The company generates revenue primarily through dine-in food and beverage sales supplemented by gift card, merchandise, catering (Friendly Functions with up to 125-person private buyouts), and third-party delivery channels. Menu items range from approximately $10 for shareables to $21 for premium entrees, with cocktails and specialty drinks in the $8-$12 range. The Brunch Club loyalty program earns members 1 point per dollar spent in-restaurant with $10 redemptions at 100 points and double points during weekday mornings. Digital infrastructure is built entirely on third-party restaurant technology, including Popmenu for online ordering, ToastTab for waitlist and reservations management, and UberEats for delivery; no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer across the regional footprint, supported by email newsletter, organic social media (Facebook, TikTok, Instagram), blog content, and community-led marketing. Recent strategic activity has emphasized physical footprint expansion, with eight new locations opened between 2021 and September 2025, a seasonal mocktail menu partnership launched in December 2025 with Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company, and continued densification within New England rather than national expansion. The company is founder/owner-controlled under Eric Goodwin with operational leadership split between CEO Shawn Utke and CEO/VP of Culinary Operations Justin Fischer.

Name

The Friendly Toast

Website

https://thefriendlytoast.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Friendly Toast is a privately held New England all-day brunch and bar restaurant chain operating 15 locations across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont, serving individual diners, families, and private event customers with scratch-made eclectic comfort food since 1994.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (72232), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Breakfast & Brunch Fast Casual (THAFABAL), Specialty Dietary & Wellness Catering (Vegan, Halal, Kosher, Allergy-Friendly) (THAFAIAK)

Keywords

• All-day brunch restaurant
• Brunch and bar
• Restaurant chain
• Catering services
• Private event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales across all restaurant locations, including brunch menu items, cocktails, and specialty drinks. The restaurant serves all-day breakfast and brunch with a scratch-made eclectic menu.
2. Catering and Private Events: Revenue from event catering and full restaurant buyouts for private events, meetings, and celebrations. The 'Friendly Functions' program offers venues for events with pickup or delivery catering options.
3. Gift Cards: Gift cards sold in-store and online, usable at any restaurant location across all states.
4. Loyalty Program (Brunch Club): The Brunch Club loyalty program earns members 1 point per $1 spent in-restaurant, with $10 off for every 100 points earned. Double points available Monday-Friday 7:30am-2:30pm.
5. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including totes, hats, shirts, and onesies sold in-store at restaurant locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Friendly Toast operates a regional chain of 15 all-day brunch and bar restaurants serving scratch-made, eclectic American comfort food with retro-inspired decor across New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont). The company sells dine-in food and beverages including brunch classics, shareables, craft cocktails, and signature mimosa flights, with extended morning-to-evening hours and inclusive dietary options (vegan and gluten-friendly). Supplementary offerings include private event buyouts and off-site catering (Friendly Functions), online ordering for pickup via Popmenu, UberEats delivery, gift cards, the Brunch Club loyalty program, and a rotating charitable Friendly Fundraiser program.

Product overview

The Friendly Toast is a regional all-day brunch and bar restaurant chain founded in 1994, headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It operates 15 locations across New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont). Its core product is the in-restaurant brunch and bar dining experience featuring eclectic, scratch-made American comfort food with retro-inspired decor. The company supports its restaurants with digital products including online ordering powered by Popmenu, waitlist and reservation management via Toast Tab, food delivery integration through UberEats, a loyalty program called The Brunch Club, and an event catering service called Friendly Functions. Seasonal offerings include the Immunity Flight mocktail menu developed in partnership with Natalie's Juice Company. The company also runs a charitable Friendly Fundraiser program with rotating nonprofit beneficiaries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Friendly Toast (All Day Brunch & Bar Restaurant) An all-day brunch and bar restaurant offering serving scratch-made, eclectic American comfort food with retro-inspired decor to diners across 15 New England locations. Menu includes brunch classics, shareables, craft cocktails, and signature mimosa flights.
• The Brunch Club (Loyalty Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 95% of menu items can be made gluten-friendly, with designated gluten-friendly kitchen areas to prevent cross-contamination.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company (Perricone Farms)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025Seasonal partnership launching the 'Immunity Flight' - a winter mocktail menu of four non-alcoholic beverages available across 15 locations in New England from December 2025 to March 2026. A portion of proceeds from each sale donated to local food banks to promote health and community support during winter season.
• Duprey HospitalityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 September 2025Real estate development partner for the Concord NH location. Duprey Hospitality worked with The Friendly Toast on the new restaurant space in the Arts Alley building downtown Concord.
• Tito's VodkacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOngoing partnership featuring a rotating drink special using Tito's Vodka. Tito's matches each $1 raised from every sale of the drink special to be donated to the chosen Friendly Fundraiser charity. Partnership amplifies charitable giving and community impact.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves16 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Denny's: 24-hour American diner chain serving all-day breakfast at value price points. Direct competitor in the all-day breakfast category with broader geographic coverage but lower price point than The Friendly Toast.
• Another Broken Egg of America: U.S. franchised brunch-focused chain with ~80 locations emphasizing upscale-casual brunch. Highly comparable daypart focus, price point, and scratch-made positioning, though primarily Southern/Southeastern U.S. footprint.
• Snooze, an A.M. Eatery: Brunch-focused regional chain with ~60 locations emphasizing creative, scratch-made breakfast and lunch in a vibrant atmosphere. Closely comparable positioning to The Friendly Toast in vibe, menu approach, and price point, though operating primarily in Western/Midwestern markets.
• Le Pain Quotidien: All-day cafe-bakery concept with locations across the U.S. offering breakfast, brunch, and lunch with a bakery-forward menu. Comparable all-day breakfast/brunch positioning and bakery/dessert offerings (relevant to Friendly Toast's diverse menu).
• Tatte Bakery & Café: Boston-headquartered bakery-cafe chain with ~20 locations across the Northeast, specializing in pastries, breakfast, brunch, and lunch in stylish, design-forward spaces. Direct competitor in core New England markets with overlapping menu categories and a similar premium, Instagram-friendly brand aesthetic.
• IHOP: Iconic American breakfast and brunch chain with 1,600+ locations. Direct competitor in the breakfast/brunch daypart, though broader and more standardized than the Friendly Toast's eclectic, locally-rooted concept.
• First Watch Restaurant Group: Publicly-traded breakfast, brunch, and lunch chain with 500+ locations across the U.S. Most directly comparable peer as a multi-unit daytime-focused casual dining concept with similar menu positioning and price points to The Friendly Toast.

Broad incumbents

• The Cheesecake Factory: Large publicly-traded casual dining chain with 200+ locations serving an extensive all-day menu including brunch items, cocktails, and private events. Comparable full-service casual dining experience and catering/event capabilities, though broader menu and price range.
• Cracker Barrel Old Country Store: Publicly-traded family restaurant chain with 600+ locations emphasizing all-day breakfast and homestyle comfort food. Comparable all-day breakfast menu focus and gift shop/merchandise revenue stream (Friendly Toast also sells branded merchandise).

Emerging players

• Eggspectation: Mid-Atlantic brunch and casual dining chain with ~15 locations offering eclectic breakfast, brunch, and lunch menus. Comparable scale and breakfast/brunch focus to The Friendly Toast, though primarily serving different geographies (DC, NJ, NY).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendlyToast
• Instagraminstagram.com/_thefriendlytoast
• TikToktiktok.com/@thefriendlytoast
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-friendly-toast-restaurant

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Friendly Toast