Christopher Staples, owner of Toast New American Gastro Pub in Richmond, Virginia, joins Digital Hospitality to share how patience, community, and disciplined operations helped grow his restaurant brand to three locations. Staples explains why Richmond’s neighborhood loyalty shapes restaurant strategy, how Toast POS powers his tech stack, and why guest relationships always come first. The conversation explores expansion lessons, the challenges of outside capital, and why building a restaurant brand is always a slow grind toward trust.

Community Restaurants Win Locally – Christopher Staples built Toast by understanding Richmond’s neighborhood culture. Guests rarely cross the bridge for dinner, so each location focuses on becoming a trusted local staple. Restaurants grow faster when they earn loyalty block by block instead of chasing citywide hype.
Technology Should Remove Friction – Staples adopted Toast POST early because he saw how the point of sale shapes the entire operation. Payroll, ordering, marketing, and scheduling all run through the same system. When technology works quietly in the background, teams can focus on hospitality instead of troubleshooting tools.
Growth Comes From Patience – Toast did not expand overnight. The first location ran for years before the second opened, and the third followed a decade later. Staples believes lasting restaurant brands are built through steady operations, disciplined pricing, and consistency that keeps guests coming back.

Episode Links

Toast Online: https://toastrva.com/
Toast RVA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toastrva/?hl=en
Email: Chris@toastrva.com
Toast POS: https://pos.toasttab.com/

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The Reality of Scaling a Restaurant Business: A Chat w/ Christopher Staples