The International Franchise Association (IFA) named Angela Goodman, owner of Famous Toastery in Ashburn, Va., as a 2023 Franchisee of the Year. Goodman was honored at the 64th IFA Annual Convention in Phoenix, Ariz., for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator.
“Franchisees of the Year exemplify what franchising is all about – providing opportunity, serving others, and fulfilling the American Dream,” said Matthew Haller, President and CEO of the International Franchise Association. “We are proud to recognize Angela with the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and I have no doubt her work is changing lives and making a lasting community impact.”
The Franchisee of the Year Award recognizes leading franchise owners from IFA member brands whose outstanding performance and contributions help protect, enhance, and promote the franchise business model. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their involvement in their communities, embodying the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering a strong and healthy culture with their workforce, and assisting their fellow franchisees when called upon.
After frequenting one of Famous Toastery’s original locations as a guest, and spending 15 years in corporate America working for a Fortune 500 company, Goodman decided she wanted more of a connection to her community. She took a chance on herself and decided to bring Famous Toastery – a brand that aligned with her own core values – to her new hometown in Northern Virginia. While she entered the restaurant industry with no prior experience in 2016, she has since become a leader among the brand by building relationships with staff and customers alike to create success. Goodman continues to foster those community ties as she helps grow Famous Toastery’s reputation for Famously Fresh food in a welcoming atmosphere.
“I am honored to be nominated by Famous Toastery for this award,” said Goodman. “Being selected by the IFA and joining a list of incredible leaders is very humbling. It is great to have my efforts recognized, and I’m ready to pay it forward and help other franchisees.”
“It is very exciting for the Won Life Brands family to have Angela of Famous Toastery and the Rosario family, who own and operate two Flour Power Studios in Georgia, awarded this prestigious honor,” said Robert Maynard, Founder of Won Life Brands. “They are both role model franchisees for our brands and exemplify what it means to represent Won Life Brands within their communities.”
There are over 800,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.7 million direct jobs and generating over $850 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities.
Charlotte, N.C. based Famous Toastery is a breakfast, brunch and lunch franchise that encourages its guests, team and franchise owners to “Be Famous” in their local community by offering “Famously Fresh” meals and a much-needed hub for friends, families and neighbors to get together in a comfortable atmosphere where “every server is your server.” The brand began in 2005 before evolving into a franchise system in 2013 and growing to 25 locations today. In 2023, Famous Toastery was awarded the naming sponsorship rights for The Famous Toastery Bowl played at UNC Charlotte. Famous Toastery has earned recognition from Restaurant Business’ The Future 50 (2019, 2020), Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Food Franchises (2019) and Franchise 500 Rankings (2019, 2022), as well as CNBC as a top franchise to buy (2018), FSR Magazine as a Top 14 restaurant chains ready for lift-off (2018), Inc. 5000’s list of fastest-growing companies, and Franchise Times’ Top 200+ franchise opportunities (2018). For more information about Famous Toastery, visit FamousToastery.com. To learn about franchising opportunities, please visit BestBreakfastFranchise.com.
Won Life Brands is a premier growth and development company focused on delivering excellent experiences in the communities it serves. Won Life Brands operates company-owned properties and offers franchise opportunities across their brands, which includes Famous Toastery, Cartridge World, Flour Power, BBS: Your Big Burger Spot, Abby’s Better Nut Butter and VaVia.
Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 806,270 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.7 million direct jobs, $858.5 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.
