“It’s a labor of love. When you get someone that gives you a chance… and comes back to make a point to say that it’s the best french toast they’ve ever had in their life, it makes it all worth it.”
That’s how Paul and Rita Yevcak explained what motivates them on cold rainy mornings like the day that we sat out visiting together.
Frenchie Daddy French Toast started as an experiment in Waco, Texas, and has quickly become a dream come true.
Paul and Rita started dating in February 2020, and just a few weeks into seeing each other their world changed forever. Covid hit, and so did the lockdowns. They decided to weather the lockdown together. Paul was a non-essential worker so he was home with his two sons, and Rita’s one. Rita was an essential worker; working during the day and would go to Paul’s house after getting off, where he had dinner fixed every night. Then she and her son would head home, “and do it all over again the next day.”
The lockdown left Paul looking for a creative outlet, so he started learning about cooking. With no previous cooking experience except for the “typical dad grill stuff,” it was a new and exciting world.
Fast forward to May 2024, Paul was at a market and saw a loaf of fresh baked cinnamon raisin sourdough bread. He remembered Rita telling him how she used to make French toast for her and her son every Saturday morning. It was Saturday, Mother’s Day weekend, and he decided to get a loaf. The next morning, he fried up slices of the perfectly spiced bread and topped it with a homemade Honeycrisp apple compote, and served it warm, to Rita in bed.
Rita appeared in the kitchen, empty plate in hand, looked at him in awe, and said, “Paul, we could sell this.”
Just a month later, they had their equipment, LLC, and necessary permits, and were serving at their first pop-up event. A menu of creative and delicious breakfast and dessert treats, brought children and adults to check them out.
They have dreams of becoming the most sought-after breakfast food vendor around, bringing delicious French toast and smiles to the community. Boog and I stopped by their pop-up for a tasting just a few weeks ago, and they told us about how they hoped to get a food trailer soon, to take their dream to the next level. And they’ve recently announced they’ll be opening their trailer in the spring of 2025.
Everything is made on-site; from the chocolate ganache to the Boston creme and fruit compotes. The items that can’t be made on-site, like the sourdough, the challah, and sausages are locally sourced. Supporting other local small businesses has been an important part of their journey.
Along with pop-ups, they also cater. Setting up what they call the “mutt bar”. A self-serve French toast bar, where you can dress your own exactly how you want it.
They have a variety of French toast dishes, both sweet and savory. Boog and I got to taste a variety of their top sellers, The Daddy, The Corgi, The Boston, and The Kibble Bowl. I love all the dog-themed marketing; their Facebook page is so cute - it’s written from the perspective of their little Frenchie dog.
The Daddy was the dish that started it all. Two slices of cinnamon raisin sourdough bread
dipped in the batter and fried to perfection in front of you. Then topped with a mound of warm hand-made Honeycrisp apple compote, dusted with powdered sugar, and drizzled with maple syrup. The Honeycrisp apples had a nice tang to balance out the richness of the dish.
The Corgie was a soft, battered challah bun, stuffed with a thick smoked sausage, then dipped in batter, fried, dusted, and drizzled. This was my and Boog’s top favorite; we enjoyed the sweet and savory combination.
The Boston was my second favorite. Two slices of challah, battered and fried, then stacked with a heaping dollop of homemade Boston cream in between. Then it was all drizzled with warm homemade chocolate ganache. Sweet, warm, and comforting; perfect for the non-so-perfect weather that day.
The Kibble Bowl was bite-sized pieces of French toast, topped with a scoop of Bluebell Homemade Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and cute little candy dog bones. A fun treat
for kiddos.
Come, sit, and stay for a while with the Frenchie Daddy crew at one of their pop-ups, or reach out and schedule them to be at your next event. Don’t forget to tell them that you read about them here.
We’re on a mission to help Texas mom ‘n pop restaurants thrive, and we need your help! So if you enjoy our articles, reviews, photos, and videos, please consider sharing and help us get some butts in booths at Texas mom ‘n pop restaurants.
Comments