Meet Claudine Thomassians | Business Owner & Chef

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claudine Thomassians and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claudine, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I could say it is the food or the coffee, but realistically, anyone can do it. So while delicious food and drink has a slight part in it all, the actual foundation to success was keeping the community at the forefront of everything we did and continue to do.

The first part to achieving this was developing a space where customers could feel at ease to use how they wish – whether it was studying, catching up with friends, celebrating a birthday, sitting down to buy a home (Yes! This has happened!), or even throwing a bachelorette party. I am simply there behind the scenes to make the food and drinks; the way people see and utilize the cafe is entirely up to each individual. Letting folks decide what our cafe means to them (versus us moving in and setting up shop their community, and then telling them what we are) I believe made people feel comfortable to come daily, weekly, and monthly for variety of occasions. When they became comfortable, that is when we could connect on a genuine and authentic level with each other and develop close customer relationships which ultimately is what leads to the success of a business.

Second, I had to listen. You can be the most talented chef and baker in the world, but if you are not listening to what your community wants and needs from you in your space, you have not done your part. We are constantly listening, taking notes, and improving everything from our menu to our decor to the functionality of equipment to better serve the community and our team.

Success to me was never defined materialistically – It was defined by the people around us and the atmosphere I was able to build. Ultimately, I knew I reached success when I got to see the same bright faces over and over again as repeat customers and I was able to build relationships with them, celebrating their accomplishments, watching even their kids grow up, seeing some go off to college, and come back to visit during the holidays. We look forward to seeing our returning customers everyday, and constantly meeting new customers. Everyone who walks into the cafe walks into a space that feels like home, and that is the most important key to success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am the owner of toasted. Cafe in Montrose, California. We serve breakfast, lunch, sandwiches, coffee and tea. It seems pretty straightforward, but I believe what sets us apart is the authenticity of the food we create. We don’t aim for anything too fancy – just a good ol’ sandwich and coffee to get your morning started or get you through a lunch.

My background is of Armenian heritage, so many of the menu items we have are inspired by Armenian flavors and foods I ate growing up. Nothing is fried or frozen – we don’t even own a microwave! And I don’t know how it happened but people liked it! Because in my eyes, I’m just making sandwiches, with real ingredients put together in between two slices of delicious, fresh baked local bread. But, when I thought about it, this is reminiscent of what we’d have growing up. We’d go to the local store to buy a loaf before breakfast and ultimately sit down with our family to have bread, jam, eggs, and fresh juice. So when someone takes a bite of our food, are tasting what feels like home. And everyone knows home cooking is the best type of cooking.

But it certainly was not easy. I had no experience working in a restaurant or cafe prior to opening up my own spot. I had a love for baking, for people, and for business; that was the only experience I was working with, but I was ready to learn. I remember so distinctly while setting up shop, we would talk to community members about what they wanted to see. The lesson I learned is to listen and continuously learn. I never stop learning lessons everyday from anyone who walks through the doors. We are there to serve them, so as the chef, why not make what people want to see? And along the way, you can introduce them to flavors you wanted to bring in the first place – like those of my Armenian background. It’s exciting to go in everyday knowing you get to try out new flavors and recipes in the kitchen, because we are always adapting to the people and the business.

I want the world to know that I enjoy every moment of my day serving our customers and being there to support my team and my community. We are constantly improving and growing and we could not be here without the support and love for the food and cafe atmosphere we have created.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In addition to the shoutout to our community, I must give a huge shoutout to my an AMAZING team that makes it happen. They put their heart and soul into their work, and their commitment and dedication to the community is just as loyal. Every person I bring onto my team is beyond an exceptional person, and I want them to know their hard work never goes unnoticed.

Also, our bakers are absolutely amazing and their work is so consistently praised by our customers that we can’t say enough good things about them. They certainly deserve a world of credit for their role in our cafe.

The restaurant industry is hard. Without the support and relationships we built, with the community and with my team, we would not be where we are today and I am eternally grateful for it.

Website: toastedcafemontrose.com

Instagram: @toasted.cafe