Jersey Bites

Since 2007 when the first Toast City Diner opened in Montclair, the brand has gained a “cult-like” following. The restaurant’s emphasis on quality food, approachable atmosphere, and fair prices has earned the business a notable reputation. Whether individuals have dined at a Toast or not, it’s a name that consumers remember.

“We’re unique because I’d say we operate a 90% scratch kitchen,” said Amy Russo, founder and owner of Toast. “That means that we don’t buy pre-made salad dressings, we don’t buy cooked corned beef, we make our own mozzarella, and we make our hollandaise fresh every day multiple times a day, even though Adam might want to shoot me for that as we grow [laughs].”

All in one remark, Russo revealed the restaurant’s biggest differentiator as well as the team’s newest challenge to overcome. The team’s quality and hands-on approach has earned them loyal customers in three notable North Jersey towns. They will walk a fine line to create new efficiencies to grow the business.

A New Addition to the Team

In February 2022, Russo brought Adam Torine into the fold. Toast’s newest managing partner joined the team with goals of brand growth and location expansion. Torine seems to fill a high-level void in business development as Russo will continue to work at her role as owner-operator.

“Now that we’re aligned, our vision is to grow the Toast brand,” explained Torine. “We’re hoping to scale through the state of New Jersey and we’re implementing what we’re calling ‘Toast 2.0,’ which will basically bring the brand into the year 2023. The goal is not to turn this upside-down because it’s broken. It’s actually quite the opposite, as Toast is a super successful concept that just needs to continue to evolve and reinvent itself. We are getting close to signing our first new deal which would showcase the new Toast prototype. We believe that there can be 15 to 20 Toast locations in the state.”

Expanding Toast City Diner Through New Jersey

Amy and Adam seemed excited for the future—teeming with ideas and anxious in preparation for new work, while remaining steadfast in their dedication to upgrading the current Toast foundation. The idea for this overall enhancement and brand refresh is nothing new for growing businesses. Many individuals might have noticed bigger brands like Dunkin Donuts doing this on a national scale over the last few years.

However, such a change can be tricky for a business in Toast’s position. Many current customers feel close with this brand. It’s not clear how these guests will feel if certain processes are streamlined and the small, local vibe gets tossed out the window. Luckily, both Torine and Russo explained that their scaling efforts will not diminish quality and connectivity to areas where Toast restaurants live. Instead, they will strive to get the business as tight as possible before expanding.

“I’ve always felt that we are a downtown, Main Street-type place, with the Montclair location. Asbury has the same feel on Cookman Avenue, and Red Bank, too. I want people to feel they are in a downtown, community-involved restaurant.”

Russo revealed her tendencies toward “shopping small” and her emphasis on community—rather than intentions of bringing a corporate structure to Toast. She hopes to nestle into new communities and customize the vibe and approach for each location, rather than duplicating Asbury’s Toast in a random strip mall, for example.

“My skill set will be used to grow the brand over the next six months,” said Torine. “I’ll be laser-focused on improving the current foundation, the systems, and current menu. We hope to update and add more flare to the menu, figure out what we should be tweaking, settling on food purveyors, and asking ourselves about uniforms. How do we make them feel more comfortable? Plus, we started the process with a new design firm. We’re targeting buzz words about Toast, and ensuring it’s an approachable concept, rather than fine dining. We’re rolling up our sleeves to peel back this giant onion. We’re taking brunch to the next level and we’re looking at everything from branded salt-and-pepper shakers to uniforms and aprons during this process.”

In the end, the incoming evolution of Toast is to differentiate from nationwide growth inside the Brunch business. The brunch buzz is real. Just in Asbury Park there are six restaurants, all within walking distance from one another, that are either built around the brunch concept or have added brunch menus. As a result, competition in this market requires Toast’s team to step up and stand apart.

Toast City Diner Evolves, Customers Benefit

Since 2007, the delicious, community-inspired diner has come a long way. Growing up, Russo was inspired by her skiing trips to New England—memories that would stay with her as she built out her business.

“There are a lot of big breakfast houses up in New England,” sad Russo. “But I grew up knowing iconic New Jersey diners like Malibu, Candlewyck, and Tick Tock. So, the initial idea was to bring this concept to Montclair. I knew if they tried it once and liked it, they were coming back. The hours were a great lifestyle choice for me, and now brunch is a seven-day treat—not just Saturday and Sunday.”

The Red Bank location epitomized the transition from a New Jersey-style diner to Toast’s concept. For 18 years prior, Russo’s father had owned and operated a 24/7 diner known as the Broadway Diner. In 2015, after his unfortunate passing, Amy Russo was able to upgrade the location and create her concept there for the third Toast location.

“I’ve been a busser, barback, dishwasher, bartender, and server,” she said. “Adam’s background is more corporate and more growth focused. I believe Adam can make us a real company so that we can grow properly rather than simply rinse and repeat.”

On Torine’s end, the research and development has started to tax his body in addition to his mind. He keeps reminding himself—it’s all for the customer.

“Over the last three months, I’ve eaten a lot of breakfast—the love handles are growing,” he said, laughing. “I’ve had a lot of ‘a-ha’ moments since I came on board. I’m learning about Amy’s fanaticism about quality—that’s not something we’ll veer away from.”