Wichita is getting a restaurant that serves fancy toast, acai bowls, other healthy fare
Kalene Hoffman got tired of waiting for someone in Wichita to open a healthy-eating restaurant focused on fancy toast creations, acai bowls and smoothies.
So she decided she’d just do it herself, she said.
Hoffman, the owner of Bodybar Pilates East at Cambridge Market, 21st and Webb — is about to get in the restaurant business.
She’s planning to open a franchise of Toastique, a restaurant chain based in Washington, D.C., that has more than two dozen locations across the country and many more about to open. Hoffman plans to open her franchise in a vacant spot just three doors down from her pilates studio in Cambridge Market, the strip center that also has Deano’s Grill & Tapworks, Just a Sip and Cafe Maurice. She hopes to have it open by July or August.
Toastique, she said, is a fast-casual restaurant that embraces the “fancy toast” trend.
“It’s a gourmet toast company,” she said. “So think avocado toast but so beautiful you always have to take a photo.”
The menu features toast with several different artfully composed toppings, including peanut butter and fruit, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and fresh tomatoes and burrata cheese.
Besides toast, Toastique also offers smoothies, acai bowls, fresh juices, grab-and-go salads, chia seed pudding and more. It uses all organic ingredients.
Hoffman said she first heard about Toastique from a friend who visited one in Colorado a couple of years ago. She was blown away by the food photos her friend showed her and read up on franchising opportunities.
She recently decided the time was right to go for it, especially when she was able to get the Cambridge Market space so close to her current business.
Hoffman said Toastique represents “exactly the way I live my life. I like eating food. I like moving my body. I guess I want to bring a little of what I like to do every day and when I travel to Wichita.”
When finished, Toastique should have seating for around 25 to 35 people, Hoffman said. She plans to serve alcohol so people can enjoy mimosas in the morning, and the restaurant will also serve coffee.
Watch for more information as opening day gets closer.
This story was originally published January 23, 2024 at 1:46 PM.
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