Opening Soon: Toastique – Glory of Gourmet Toast
Toastique, at Olympic and Olive, debuted at A Taste of South Park last Saturday to rave reviews! Previously I had talked with owners Ail and Mounir as they were working on the interior of Toastique, and I was enthralled with their love of toast!!!! Here is part of our conversation.
What is the background of Toastique? Where did the idea come from?
“Our founder, Brianna Keefe, did the radical human thing of following her passions. As a youngster, she dabbled in juices and breakfast smoothies and as a D1 athlete, she got more serious about fueling her days with high-quality, whole foods. Add her love for the simple beauty that fruits and veggies bring to the table and boom — Toastique in all its gourmet toast glory was born. Today, there are 50 stores open nationwide.”
A bit about the owners -
They followed their love of healthy food as well as their passion of being entrepreneurs. Ali, the nephew and a foodie, partnered up with his uncle, the technology and software corporate America veteran, to bring the health and wellness of food to communities around Southern California.
Ali has been an entrepreneur from the beginning of his career. He is young, ambitious, full of energy but has no desire to work for anyone else. He is also a foodie and likes to try new things. Healthy food is his thing. If he is not driving a big truck, he is at the gym working out.
Mounir, the uncle, has over 30 years of corporate America experience all spent in technology and software. His experience in customer support and success shows his passion for serving people. He loves DTLA because he has run through its streets 14 times doing the LA marathon.
Ali and Mounir make up a team where they complement each other and look to serve the South Park and DTLA communities. The thought is to do something that not only serves the community, but also addresses the health and wellness space.
Why did you participate in A Taste of South Park before you had opened the doors to Toastique?
“We want the neighborhood to know that we are looking forward to serving them by providing a unique alternative to breakfast and lunch that has a healthy spin to it with a great experience. We are passionate about customer service and hope to serve the community in the most ethical way.”
But also, “we have yet to taste all the food in South Park as we are still exploring the restaurant scene. We wanted to go visit A Taste of South Park and eat at every establishment in the neighborhood. This is a good way to get to know some of those establishments. Also, we are looking forward to introducing the Toastique concept, its health and wellness benefits. We are just looking forward to providing a great experience to the residents of South Park.
“We love downtown, always loved it here, and have been looking for an opportunity to spend more time and be a part of this community. We wanted to open the first Toastique restaurant in South Park for its lively urban lifestyle. We know the area offers this walkable access to different amenities like the Crypto.com Arena, LA Live, and diverse restaurants. We also know that the residents benefit from this central location, and appreciate the modern high-rise buildings and a vibrant, clean, and safe environment. Residents should not have to go too far to experience a healthy toast or a great smoothie or a hot matcha latte. This business adventure will allow us to be a part of the community and take advantage of what it offers as well.”
When do you expect to open?
“We expect to open in early November. No exact date set yet. Once we know, we will post it on the store windows. Take advantage of the Toastique App, download it today and show up on grand opening day to receive a $50 store credit toward future purchases.” We will have business hours between 7am – 5pm, seven days/week.”
What are the menu highlights?
“On the menu, we will have healthy toasts. We featured a taste of three of them at A Taste of South Park - the avocado smash which is a favorite, the smoked salmon, and the tomato burrata. We also have healthy bowls, and we featured the OG Acai Bowl at A Taste of South Park. We also offer healthy smoothies and cold pressed juices such as the CURE and the Defender. Finally, our menu will include healthy shots, granola snacks, hot and cold coffees, hot or iced matcha lattes as well as hot teas daily. All of this can be taken to go but dine in both inside and outdoors for a complete experience.”
Ali and Mounir are looking forward to getting to know all the residents in the neighborhood. Walk by and look for the opening date notice!!!
By Debra Shrout