Toast Breakfast & Lunch

If you’re in the neighbourhood…

When Ann Brady opened Toast in St. Albert three years ago, little did she know how well the restaurant would be received. She had owned several tea rooms in Ireland, so when she opened Toast here, she offered a menu of Canadian breakfast classics with an Irish flair. And the reviews and awards speak to Toast’s success: 2016 and 2017 Best of T8N winner for breakfast and brunch; 2016 Ignite Award of Distinction; 2017 St. Albert Gazette Readers’ Choice Award winner for breakfast.

Due to this success, Ann opened a second location last September in Sherwood Park. And just as with the St. Albert location, finding the right space was key.

“It’s ideal: a corner unit so I get lots of light, there’s a patio for spring and summer, and the size is just big enough to seat 120 people,” says Ann. The opening was much less stressful thanks to her St. Albert staff. They knew people in their “work circle” who were looking for a job, plus they had the whole summer to train the new Sherwood Park staff. “We opened mid-week, and by the weekend we all felt like we had been there forever,” smiles Ann.

Along with a new location, there’s a new menu. The favourites, however, still remain: “The Surfer” eggs benedict, the full Irish or English breakfast and the classic burger. One of the new items on offer is the Irish eggs benedict: you can order your poached eggs soft, medium or hard, and it comes on toasted Irish bread, Irish bacon, black and white pudding patties all topped with a horseradish infused hollandaise sauce. The “Little Ones Menu” has also expanded to give the kids and those with smaller appetites more variety beyond the usual chicken strips and fries.

But good food is only part of Toast’s success. Arun, the kitchen manager, keeps the behind-the-scenes action running smoothly, and Aileen, the floor manager, makes sure the servers have bottomless “Irish hospitality.” These two factors are why Toast has loyal customers. Apart from making sure cups have coffee and the food tastes good, the staff chats with customers as if they’re all having breakfast together. And Aileen not only knows the regulars’ usual orders, she’s also become friends with a few of them.

“Yesterday’s Sunday brunch [in St. Albert] was our longest wait time; it was 45 minutes. But a regular who is 85-years-old waited, and she even gave me a big hug afterwards,” recalls Aileen.

At Toast, not only can you eat good food that’s a blend of cultural favourites, but you’ll also receive Irish hospitality from 7 am, seven days a week in two Edmonton area locations.

Irish Facts

1. The White House was designed by Irishman James Hoban.
2. Ireland’s patron saint, Patrick, wasn’t even Irish.
3. Ireland’s national symbol isn’t a shamrock; it’s a harp.
4. Barack Obama’s great-great-great grandfather was from Ireland.
5. Ireland can fit into Canada 118 times.

This sponsored content was produced in partnership between Toast Breakfast & Lunch and T8N Magazine