Red sparkly booths steadily filled with hungry customers as morning sunlight streamed through the windows of The Friendly Toast restaurant in downtown Concord on its opening day.
The all-day brunch and bar, part of a small chain of New England eateries that began in Portsmouth in 1994, moved into the first floor of the newly opened Arts Alley on Main Street.
Although The Friendly Toast didn’t unlock its doors until 7:30 a.m., Bill Hall inaugurated the line at 6:55 a.m., determined to be among the first people in the city to take in the food, drinks and vibe.
One of his close friends was working the bar, and Hall wanted to show his support. Plus, he was looking forward to getting a good meal in the process.
“We certainly need more restaurants in Concord and more breakfast places, too. It’s a beautiful building. They did a great job renovating it,” said Hall, who lives in the Capital City.
The Arts Alley project, spearheaded by developer Steve Duprey, sought to create new downtown entertainment options that appealed to all ages, especially younger people. The Friendly Toast, whose success across New England has skyrocketed since the pandemic, plays a large role in that endeavor.
Laura Starr-Houghton and Debborah Kaitz met for a Monday morning workout before heading to The Friendly Toast for breakfast. Like Hall, they look forward to seeing what the new spot will do for downtown.
“I’m going to call out Steve Duprey. He’s done a really good job because he’s really making a lot of things happen,” Starr-Houghton said. “And nothing is open on Sunday, so let’s bring back something on Sundays.”
Both women have loved seeing Main Street blossom back to life in recent years. To them, the breakfast restaurant is the latest part of this shift.
“I think it’s really helping the downtown area, getting local traffic,” Kaitz said.
Inside the colorful eatery, customers chatted with staff like old friends and exclaimed over the decorated walls while waiting in line to be seated. Behind the bar, Rachelle Beaudoin whipped up different drink flights.
She frequented the original location in Portsmouth as a customer back in her early 20s before gravitating to The Friendly Toast as a place to work. The experience has been “full circle” for Beaudoin, who lives in Loudon and trained at the restaurant’s locations in Nashua, Bedford and Salem. The Concord spot marks the fifth in the state.
“It took me a little bit to find a company that I really like,” she said. “The restaurant industry is kind of wild, and this company is just a fabulous company to work for. Everyone is super supportive, very organized, which is not a common thing in restaurants. It’s structured, and it’s fun.”
She appreciates the vibrant, colorful atmosphere that characterizes each of the restaurant’s locations.
“I think [we’re] something different, something fun,” Beaudoin said. “Because that’s what we’re going for. Something more creative.”
That creative atmosphere calls to people like Victoria Navarro, who goes to The Friendly Toast in Nashua each Sunday with her family, including her 90-year-old grandmother. She runs the event company Party Through Life and has helped with different Friendly Toast grand openings across New Hampshire.
After working the Nashua grand opening last year, Navarro tried the breakfast tacos and said she was “hooked.”
“That’s one of the best things is their menu,” Navarro said. “You can’t go wrong. And who else serves breakfast flights? They’re delicious.”
She created a balloon arch outside the Concord location for its grand opening and watched the line of customers stream into the restaurant to try the food.
“Mainly, I just hope they find their family gathering, like my family does,” she said. “If they can find something at The Friendly Toast that brings you back every week to make memories, I think that’s key. It could become a staple of the community.”
More information
The Friendly Toast in Concord is located at 22 South Main St., Unit 1 in Concord.
Here are the hours of operation:
Monday – Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
To learn more, visit https://www.thefriendlytoast.com.