Couple transforms long-vacant Washington Road storefront into a fresh, health-focused café

Brad and Chrissy Sileo have re-entered the restaurant business — this time, for the health of it.

Brad previously owned a software company and Chrissy worked as a preschool teacher, but when an opportunity arose in uptown Mt. Lebanon, the couple seized it. With prior restaurant experience and a shared interest in health-focused dining, they purchased a long-vacant building at 700 Washington Road and converted it into Toastique, a gourmet toast and juice bar franchise.

Following an extensive renovation, the shop opened June 7, offering toast creations, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, smoothie bowls, iced collagen lattes, oat dishes, soups and more.

“Everything is made from scratch,” Brad said. Toastique is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The location also features catering, a kids menu and a fall menu that will carry into winter.

The Sileos, longtime Upper St. Clair residents, say launching a franchise in the South Hills has been rewarding. “Things have been pretty amazing. We’re so happy here,” Brad said. “We’ve been very busy. Revenue is good, and people have shown a lot of enthusiasm.”

As the name suggests, toast is a signature menu item — and all offerings can be prepared gluten free. “We have a separate toaster for all of our gluten-free toasts,” Brad said. “If you want to be a fresh restaurant, you have to accommodate the needs of all customers.”

Toastique employs about 15 people, including full-time and part-time workers and high school students. The space features bright interior lighting, a clearly displayed menu and updated exterior signage.

Although this is the couple’s first restaurant as owners, both worked in the food industry earlier in their careers. They began exploring business opportunities more than two years ago, considering sites in Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon before selecting the former Isaly’s deli space, which later housed a doctor’s office and sat vacant for years.

“This place was vacant for a long time,” Brad said. “We put in a ton of work to develop it. The building had lots of issues. We redid the electricity and plumbing and made a lot of investments to make it what we wanted it to be.”

The Sileos have lived in Upper St. Clair for 25 years and are parents of two adult sons. Brad grew up in the Reading area, and Chrissy is originally from Pittsburgh’s Greenfield neighborhood. In 2018, Brad sold the software business he owned for 12 years. Chrissy was a preschool teacher at Mushroom Family Learning Center on the Mt. Lebanon-Scott Township line.

Toastique is the first Pittsburgh-area location for the franchise, and Brad said the company is considering expansion into Downtown and the North Hills. The couple is also focused on building community involvement.

“We’re looking for local causes to support,” Brad said.

And how are customers responding?

“Some people who come in for the first time might be a little skeptical,” Brad said. “Then they eat, say they’re full, and it was delicious.”