The Friendly Toast officially opens at 36 LaSalle Road in West Hartford Center on Monday, May 5.

By Ronni Newton

Any restaurant where the door handle is a smiling piece of toast has got to be friendly, right?

The Friendly Toast already is renowned throughout New England for its all-day brunch menu and innovative brunchy bar offerings, and everything about the West Hartford location is as cheerful and welcoming as that door handle – decór featuring bright colors and vintage signage on the walls, diner-style furniture, and a menu that’s unique yet approachable.

The official grand opening of The Friendly Toast’s 14th location – and first in Connecticut – will be celebrated on Monday, May 5, at 7:30 a.m., with the traditional opening “egg smash” at 10 a.m. Since that day happens to be Cinco de Mayo, The Friendly Toast’s welcoming offer to the first 55 parties to visit that day is a complementary order of Breakfast Street Tacos (French-toasted corn tortillas with scrambled eggs, chorizo, pico de gallo, cotija, chipotle sauce, crema, and cilantro). They’re also offering Market Square Mimosas for $5 through May 9.

“We’re so excited,” said CEO Staci Pinard, who will preside over the egg smash on Monday morning and was also at the invitation-only soft opening over the weekend. “We’ve wanted to be in Connecticut for a long time,” she said, and already feels welcomed by the community, where excitement about the The Friendly Toast opening has been brewing since they announced their plans a year ago.

What makes The Friendly Toast unique is the scratch kitchen, Pinard said. “Our food is outstanding, and we get even more ‘scratch’ as we grow,” she said, not cutting any corners even as they expand the number of locations.

The menu was updated on April 28, but remains “vast,” Pinard said, with the focus on breakfast and brunch classics – and plenty of twists on those – as well as “lots of cool new lunch items.”

To ease into The Friendly Toast dining experience, there are apps including Churro Bites, “Some Like It Tot” (golden fried jumbo cheddar tater tots with house cheese sauce, sautéed onion, bacon crumble, and Sriracha glaze), and Breakfast Egg Rolls.

For the main event, you can opt for a breakfast classic of eggs, meat, home fries, and toast – also available as a sandwich or as a “monster” with the addition of pancakes or French toast.

Pinard recommended that newbies choose from the signature items – which include the Hash Quiche (see feature photo) which includes two crispy fried hash brown bowls with scrambled eggs, bacon, red bell peppers, red onion, and jalapeño-jack, topped with crema and fresh dill, served with fruit salad and toast. She also suggested the Breakfast Street Tacos (French-toasted corn tortillas with scrambled eggs, chorizo, pico de gallo, cotija, chipotle sauce, crema, and cilantro).

Sally’s Avocado Toast was another recommendation (7-grain toast with smashed avocado, marinated tomatoes, pickled onion, feta, and sliced avocado), as was the Cinna-Swirl French Toast (cinnamon swirl French toast with cheesecake buttercream, whipped cream, Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal, and powdered sugar).

The “Friends With Benedicts” section of the menu is another enticement, with offerings like the Chicken Cordon Bleu Benny (described as “By Chef Chip Miller. English muffin with local NH North Country smoked ham, Rice Krispies-breaded fried chicken breast, house cheese sauce, poached eggs, hollandaise, and Sriracha glaze”).

Lunch features include burgers and sandwiches, served with waffle fries and a pickle, and include the Gochujang Fried Chicken sandwich (Rice Krispies-breaded fried chicken breast, Gochujang sauce, marinated cucumbers, creamy Asian slaw, and everything bagel aioli on a sesame brioche roll), as well as several types of bowls.

The bar program is unique for a brunch-focused restaurant, Pinard said, with Mimosa flights – available currently in “Classic” or “Endless Summer” assortments – among the most popular choices, along with four varieties of “Friendly wake-ups,” aka spiked espresso drinks. For those who prefer Bloodies with their brunch, there are three different versions, including one that includes Grillo’s pickle juice. The beverage menu also includes many non-alcoholic offerings like straight coffee and espresso drinks and mocktails such as the rainbow sherbet (orange juice, pineapple juice, coconut puree, grenadine, and Starry soda).

The interior is “all authentically-curated decor,” Pinard said, unique and chosen specifically for the West Hartford by a husband and wife team that has designed all of their locations. The 3,000-square-foot space is completely transformed from its former occupancy as Division West, with the exception of a vintage mural of West Hartford that remains on one of the walls, and the tiled dance floor.

The Friendly Toast has indoor seating for 160, with bar seats as well as tables and booths that can accommodate relatively large parties. There are plans for a patio as well, but Pinard said due to the construction on LaSalle Road this summer as part of the West Hartford Center Infrastructure Master Plan implementation, they are going to hold off until next year.

“As we expand across the Northeast, opening a new location in Connecticut was an obvious next step for us,” Eric Goodwin, co-owner of The Friendly Toast, said in a statement. “We are excited to be a part of the lively West Hartford community, and know we are in great company with the beloved local food scene. From our Hash Quiche Cups to the Cookie Monster Pancakes, there is something on our menu for everyone, and it’s a pleasure to finally bring our creative scratch kitchen and bar to Connecticut.”

“We are so excited to join the ranks of the West Hartford culinary community and provide a fun new offering to the town,” added Co-owner Scott Pulver.

In 2014, Pulver and Goodwin bought The Friendly Toast, which was founded in 1994, and according to their website “has long been one of the most popular brunch spots in New England.” Pulver is a longtime friend Rich Rosenthal, the now-retired founder of Max Restaurant Group, and previously told We-Ha.com that they were determined to find the right space in West Hartford and were excited when the former Division West space became available after the restaurant closed for good on Jan. 18, 2024.

Tad Dziemian is a business associate of Goodwin, and he and his wife, Johanne, drove down Saturday morning from their home in northern New Hampshire to check out the newest location of The Friendly Toast. “All have the same vibe – retro, vintage,” he said, noting that his favorite menu item is the “Sklarmageddon Omelet” (pork sausage, bacon, ham, jalapeño-jack & cheddar, topped with chipotle aioli and spiced pepitas). It’s a Friendly Toast original creation, and full of lots of protein, he said.

The menu has many gluten-friendly selections, all specifically noted, and many items are vegan as well. The servers are well-versed in asking about allergies, and even include a marker when serving tables where there’s a stated food allergy.

The Friendly Toast has a commitment to giving back to the community, and while free meals were offered during the soft opening, all beverage sales were to benefit local nonprofit Ball 4 a Cure, “a local organization that supports pediatric cancer patients and their families. Ball 4 a Cure, founded in 2015 by seven childhood friends from West Hartford, started as a 3v3 basketball tournament on blacktop courts and evolved into a multi-faceted nonprofit organization hosting several annual events across many different communities. Now, the Ball 4 a Cure Family Support Fund at Connecticut Children’s Hospital assures families in financial need receive resources so each child in treatment has a safe, warm and secure home to return to when they leave the Center for Cancer & Blood Disorders.”

The Friendly Toast is open daily, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The complete menu can be viewed online, and there are links on the website for reservations and to be added to the waitlist.

The Friendly Toast also has a Brunch Club loyalty program where you can earn one point for every $1 spent in-restaurant and unlock a $10 off offer for every 100 points earned, with double points available for weekday dining.

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