Toastiez to close July 12; new cafe to open Aug. 14

Published: July 11, 2023

Author: Dave Bell

Toastiez Restaurant, located on first floor of The SMART Center in downtown Greenville, will close at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 12.

Greenville University, which operates the restaurant, has a commitment with the owner of The Buenos Aires Café in the City Foundry in St. Louis to open a similar concept restaurant in the space formerly occupied by Toastiez. It is projected to open Aug. 14.

The restaurant operator, Oscar Farina (shown at right with Breck Nelson, GU's chief economic development officer), said the menu will feature empanadas, a crescent-shaped pastry filled with a variety of ingredients – including meats, vegetables, or fruits – and cooked in a fryer. Other items on the menu will be rice bowls and salads. Farina also said he plans to install a gelato machine in the café.

Farina, a native of Argentina, and his wife, Ainara, a native of Spain, are both U.S. military veterans. They have operated several food trucks and restaurants in locations throughout the United States. They moved to the U.S. 25 years ago and have lived in the St. Louis Metro East area since 2020.

The SMART Center restaurant facility was designed to launch concept restaurants. Toastiez opened about two years ago as a business venture of the University, during the COVID pandemic when an experienced restaurant operator could not be found. Toastiez’s initial menu featured grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, and salads. That menu was expanded to include other sandwiches, a breakfast menu, homestyle dinners, and specialty coffee drinks.

Greenville University is grateful for the many patrons who have supported Toastiez during the past two years and looks forward to welcoming customers from the college and community to the new restaurant upon its opening.

Patrons who met for coffee at Toastiez are encouraged to visit Jo’s Java, an on-campus coffee shop in the Dietzman Center, just south of Beaumont Avenue. Jo’s Java’s summer hours are 7 a.m. to noon weekdays and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays.

Additionally, community groups that have met in Toastiez will be able to meet on the third floor of the SMART Center during the transition time. For information, contact Elaine McNamara at 618-664-9272 or at elaine@greenvillesmart.com.