Toastique to open Montclair cafe with healthy menu

The basics:

• Toastique opening new Montclair cafe in late May
• Franchise owned by first-time entrepreneur Zairah Ahmed
• Chain known for gourmet toast, smoothies and juices
• Expansion reflects demand for healthy fast-casual dining

A Washington, D.C.-born café chain known for its fancy toasts, fresh smoothies, acai bowls and cold-pressed juices is planting its flag in one of New Jersey’s healthiest towns. After discovering Toastique about a year and a half ago, Zairah Ahmed is gearing up to open a franchised location in Montclair as her first-ever business venture.

Slated for a late May launch at 25 Church St., the outpost will be the brand’s sixth in New Jersey, joining sites in other health-centric communities like Ridgewood, Morristown, Hoboken, Chatham and Stone Harbor.

For Ahmed, the upcoming café blends a longtime passion for fitness with a personal mission to support her father’s recovery after a heart attack by encouraging healthier eating habits.

After graduating from Rutgers University with an undergraduate degree in business and MBA, Ahmed became a personal trainer and Pilates instructor. The Hasbrouck Heights native said, “It started off with me helping my family. I worked on myself and then from there I was giving tips and guidance to my family members, and they were like, ‘You’re really good at this. You should make a career out of it.’”

Alongside some consulting work, Ahmed did some personal training on the side before the pandemic hit. After COVID-era restrictions eased, she took a job at upscale health club chain Life Time in Montvale.

Ahmed said, “Maybe around a year and a half ago, my dad got pretty sick. He suffered a major stroke, so I do still live with him and take care of him. And, one of the recovery things for him was obviously keeping his health in check and making sure he’s living an active lifestyle and eating a proper diet.”

Enter Toastique

At the time, she was in Washington with her dad as he received medical care, and they tried Toastique. “I was like ‘Oh my god, I really like this.’ And he really enjoyed it a lot, too. So, I wanted to bring it back to New Jersey,” she said.

According to the International Franchise Association, about 1 in 3 franchise owners – like Ahmed – are first-time business owners, making it a common entry point into entrepreneurship. The model provides training, brand recognition and operational support, helping make first-time business ownership more attainable, IFA said.

Franchises also have higher survival rates than independent startups. Roughly 90% of franchises make it through their first year and about 85% are still operating after five years, according to industry estimates. By contrast, only about half of independently run businesses make it to the five-year mark, the U.S. Small Business Administration says.

Founded in 2018 by former college cheerleader Brianna Keefe, Toastique aims to make healthy eating accessible and simple. Since launching a franchise program in 2020, the brand has more than 50 locations open nationwide and roughly 60 stores in development.

According to Toastique, its franchisees hail from a range of backgrounds that include “corporate refugees finding purpose,” families building something together and individuals inspired by newly adopted health journeys.

Depending on location and format, the total investment to open a Toastique store ranges from $472,000 to $891,000. Most franchisees go from signing to opening in 11 to 14 months, the company said.

Setting up shop

When it comes to the ideal communities for Toastique, Chief Operating Officer Sean Keefe previously told NJBIZ the brand looks for “high traffic, higher income areas that are an attraction for not just locals, but visitors that want to come to the area.” The founder’s brother also said he believed New Jersey “has a strong demographic of people that appreciate the healthy concept and lifestyle that the brand represents.”

Toastique’s rise comes as the fast-casual sector continues to outpace traditional fast-food chains in growth thanks to rising demand for fresh, customizable options, according to market research firm Technavio. With roughly 70% of consumers looking to eat healthier, better-for-you concepts are among the fast-growing categories.

Because most of those brands revolve around salads, smoothies and acai bowls, Toastique has been able to thrive with few competitors due to its focus on gourmet toast.

Instagram-ready

Named as a 2024 Hot Concepts Award winner by Nation’s Restaurant News, Toastique has been able to expand rapidly due to its unique offering and cost-effective business model, the publication said.

Toastique stands out for its focus on high-quality, flavorful menu items that balance health and taste with an Instagram-ready presentation. It also runs a minimalist kitchen setup with little to no heavy cooking that allows for quick ticket times and reduced waste.

From morning lattes to lunchtime toasts and afternoon smoothies, the brand says its menu is designed to create multiple revenue streams and encourage repeat visits throughout the day.

According to Toastique, the average gross sales of sites open for two-plus years is $745,577. Top performing locations can pull in more than $1 million annually, the company said.

From customer to owner

As a first-time business owner, Ahmed said the support provided by Toastique has been invaluable. Depending on how Montclair goes, Ahmed said she could potentially open additional stores.

Ahead of launches, Toastique gives its franchisees 254 hours of hands-on training that includes 222 hours on-site at its DC flagship.  The chain also touted its corporate team of more than two dozen members who offer support with site selection, build-out and grand opening marketing. Toastique field consultants provide ongoing guidance to local shop owners, the company said.

“It’s my first brick-and-mortar venture, so franchising makes it easier because all the processes, procedures and everything are already standard outline and work,” she said. “There’s many locations across the East Coast that are working. It’s a lot lower risk compared to going in with a concept that you’re foreign to.”

Ahmed is the owner and operator of the Montclair location. However, she said, “I have the support of my family behind me, and they’ve guided me through the process given that this is my first business.”

It was about a year ago that Ahmed decided to move ahead with Toastique. “After everything that happened with my dad, this is something that we wanted to do together and also give back to the community … We just thought it was a good time to do it now given where he was in his recovery and he was able to get back to somewhat of his normal life.”

The place to be

As for choosing Montclair, Ahmed said the area is near and dear to her family because of relatives there. And, when she’d come home on weekends from Rutgers, Ahmed said Montclair was “always the downtown area to be in.”

“It was never a foreign spot to me,” she said.

Besides being a town Ahmed knows well, Montclair is often ranked as one of the healthiest towns in New Jersey thanks to its fitness culture, walkable downtown and wellness-minded residents. Most recently, the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute recognized it among 45 communities as Mayor’s Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” winners for 2025.

While Montclair is one of the most diverse food scenes in New Jersey, its 100-plus eateries also make it one of the most competitive. But Ahmed feels Toastique fits well with what Montclair residents are looking for.

“I really believe in the products. I love the products. I love sharing with my family, and I just know that the Montclair community is going to enjoy it too. I’m very confident in that,” she said.

“I want people to hang out there or come in on the way back from their Pilates class to grab a balanced juice,” Ahmed said. “ … I want people to enjoy the product just as much as I do because it’s really healthy and really refreshing. And I want people to have that sense of community when they’re there — being able to make friends, meet new people and just network.”

She added, “That’s one of the things I’m looking forward to, in terms of opening in Montclair. The causes that align most with me relate to healthy eating, well-being and exercise. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves.”

‘Never in the cards’

In downtown Montclair, Toastique takes over a 700-square-foot space previously occupied by Lit Café. The specialty coffee shop permanently closed in March after about a year in business, calling it a “difficult decision.”

Ahmed expects to employ between 10 to 15 workers. In the run-up to the grand opening, she is working on marketing, training employees and getting the space set up.

Along with help from Toastique’s corporate team, she is getting assistance from her older brothers. She continues to do personal training and teaching Pilates, too.

The fast pace has brought hurdles, such as finding real estate and hiring, but navigating them has felt natural and organic – especially with the support of her family.

After the launch, Ahmed said she will run day-to-day operations with her father. “For me, it’s just been positives. I get to enjoy extra time with my dad and do this with the support of my family, too. So in my mind, it was like I really didn’t have too much to lose in doing this,” she said.

While Ahmed admitted she’s nervous to go “in a completely new direction,” it is “something that my dad always wanted to do, so I’m just, I guess, doing it on behalf of him too, and also in support of him.”

On the menu

She went to describe her retired father as “an engineer at heart” but “big foodie for sure.”

One of her favorite items is the avocado smash (avocado with watermelon radish, marinated tomatoes, chili oil and microgreens on multigrain bread). Another go-to: Defender cold-pressed juice, which is a blend of orange, carrot, apple, turmeric and lemon.

“My dad really likes that one, too. It has a lot of Vitamin C and a lot of nutrients that are great for blood flow and immunity … he’s a little bit more immunocompromised, it’s a really good recovery for that,” she said.

“I think the biggest victory is that I had this idea and we were able to execute it within almost a year. For me, I didn’t anticipate that. That was never in the cards for me, just given how quickly we’re moving. And I think it’s just in alignment with everything that we want,” she said.