Celebrating the passionate people bringing hospitality to life


All inspired by the culture of service in our incredible industry.

Celebration

Congratulations to our award winners!

All winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to our fall product release in Boston, an exclusive dinner with Toast leaders, and a physical award in addition to the prizes listed below. Get the full rundown of contest prizes, terms, and conditions here.

Feel right at home at Chef’s Cafe

Chef’s Cafe, a 33-year-old deli in Sharonville, Ohio, frequently calls their regulars to let them know their favorite dishes are back on the menu. While Chef's Cafe may be a quick-service spot, their roots are firmly in fine dining.

Hospitality Award

🏆 $10,000 and a menu refresh
Check them out

“Whoever needs, come and eat” at Goldie’s

Goldie’s Bagels, a bagel shop in Columbia, Missouri, follows a philosophy of abundance by offering a bagel with shmear and a coffee to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay. A sign in the shop proudly reads, "Whoever needs, come and eat."

Impact Award

🏆 $10,000 and a donation to their charity of choice
Check them out

Innovation is in Oscar’s DNA

Oscar’s Authentic Mexican Grill in Olathe, Kansas has innovation in its DNA. From server robots to kiosks, Oscar uses technology to delight guests and improve operational efficiency.

Growth Award

🏆 $10,000 and one month free of software
Check them out

Meet the finalists

Join us in giving a round of applause to the six wonderful finalists below. Local to Minneapolis, Brooklyn, Millersburg, Kingsport, East Harlem, or Santa Rosa? Visit their websites to place an order or make a reservation!

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Afro Deli & Grill

A finalist for the Impact Award, this vibrant African fusion concept in Minneapolis, Minnesota partners with local non-profits to deliver over 2.5 million meals to those in need, supports minority suppliers, and awards scholarships.

Check them out
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BKLYN Blend

A finalist for the Hospitality Award, this wellness-focused fast-casual hangout in Brooklyn, New York is devoted to serving up "nutrition with kindness." BKLYN BLEND also strives to make healthy eating more accessible to those living in food deserts.

Check them out
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Daybreak Bistro

A finalist for the Growth Award, this casual dining spot in Millersburg, Ohio transformed their location from abandoned Burger King to a beloved neighborhood bistro. And business is booming: Daybreak Bistro just expanded to dinner service.

Check them out
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Galaxy Pizza

A finalist for the Hospitality Award, this pizzeria-turned-arcade in Kingsport, Tennessee offers free game play to their community. Galaxy Pizza's intention is to give local families a place to hang out and make memories together.

Check them out
08 Ollin

Ollin

A finalist for the Growth Award, this Latinx, queer-owned, mom-and-pop Mexican restaurant in East Harlem was originally founded in 1997 as a grocery store. Since then, Ollin has become a cornerstone of the local community, leveraging their devoted following on TikTok to fuel their business growth.

Check them out
04 Thumbnail Russian River

Russian River Brewing Co.

A finalist for the Impact Award, this brewpub in Santa Rosa, California uplifts their local community in times of crisis. Following 2017's devastating Tubbs Wildfire, RRBC created a custom beer that alone raised over $1 million for local organizations.

Check them out

That awardee feeling, 7/24/365

The awards may be over but we’ll keep the celebration going on Toast Community, the online forum 
available exclusively for Toast customers.

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Earn badges

Get recognized for your community contributions. The more you engage, the more you earn.

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Find your place

Looking to connect with other bakery owners? Curious how other pizzerias configured their menu?

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Share successes

Whether you recently expanded to a new location or received a well-deserved promotion, we want to hear it.

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Become a leader

Ambassadors are dedicated volunteers who teach, support, and share the community. Start posting to earn an invitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

A panel of Toast team members will choose three finalists for each category based on this criteria.

Criteria for written entries: 

  • Quality of written submission (i.e. easy to read, thoroughly explained, well-supported, free of typos and spelling errors).
  • How successfully does the submission, and the content in the submission, embody or symbolize the category
  • Does the submission grab your attention and excite/inspire/interest the reader?
  • Was the submission from a customer or an employee/owner of the restaurant? Did a restaurant receive multiple unrelated nominations? Does the submission in other ways embody the ethos and experience Toast wishes to associate with?

The general public will then vote on the finalists; the votes for each finalist will then be tallied and the Finalist with the most votes will be declared the winner. One winner from each category will be notified. Please note: If selected as a finalist, you will be asked to create a short video with your story to help the public vote!

Only existing Toast customers, located within the United States, who have used Toast Services (as defined in the Toast Merchant Agreement, available at https://pos.toasttab.com/merchant-agreement) for a period longer than six (6) months may apply for and be eligible to win the Contest. However, anyone may vote for a Finalist during the Voting Period to determine the Winner. Restaurants owned by employees of Sponsor or their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible for the Contest. Incomplete, unreadable, unintelligible, and fraudulent entries and any entries that violate these Official Rules will be disqualified.

The winner of each category will receive the following prizes:


Hospitality: Celebrates a restaurant going above and beyond to delight their guests.

  • Award: $10,000 and a menu refresh (~$1,000 — $2,000 value)
  • Recognition of the winner at Toast’s Spark on Tour: Boston event.
  • Round-trip travel to Boston and 2-night hotel stay for Toast’s Spark on Tour Boston event 09/15/24-09/17/2024)***


Impact: Celebrates a restaurant uplifting their local community.

  • Award: $10,000 and a donation to the winner’s charity of choice ($1,000 value)
  • Recognition of Winner at Toast’s Spark on Tour: Boston event
  • Round-trip travel to Boston and 2-night hotel stay for Toast’s Spark on Tour Boston event 09/15/24-09/17/2024)***


Growth: Celebrates a restaurant growing their business in innovative ways.

  • Award: $10,000 and one month free in software (approximately a $1,000 value)

  • Recognition of Winner at Toast’s Spark on Tour: Boston event
  • Round-trip travel to Boston and 2-night hotel stay for Toast’s Spark on Tour Boston event 09/15/24-09/17/2024)***


***Airline/carrier and hotel will be determined solely by Toast. Toast will pay for one person per winning restaurant. Winner is responsible for paying for and arranging travel accommodations for any additional individuals. Attendance/admission of any additional individuals at Toast’s company event is in Toast’s sole discretion, and Toast reserves the right to remove any individuals from the company event at any time and for any reason.

We won’t be sharing the number of votes publicly or with the winners.

Winners will be notified August 6, 2024 via email.

To be considered for the Toast Community Awards, you’ll have to be a Toast customer for at least six months prior to June 17, 2024. (The day nominations open!)

Feel free to email ToastCommunityAwards@toasttab.com with your question, and we’ll do our best to respond in a timely manner.