May 10th soft opening planned for new SMART Center restaurant

Published: November 09, 2021

A grilling combination of cheese and hands-on experience for students is a brie-utiful recipe for a new concept restaurant coming to the SMART Center on the square in Greenville.

Toastiez restaurant is coming to the first floor of the SMART Center, with a soft opening scheduled for May 10. Items on the menu include grilled cheese sandwiches and gourmet sandwiches such as, The Elvis. Toastiez will also offer poutine, soups, and salads, with menu ingredients coming from local businesses, including Marcoot Jersey Creamery, The Milk House, and Waynes Market.

Most items will be farm-to-table, so the idea is that were going to be able to lift other local businesses up as well as offer something different for the community, says Brittany Davis, Toastiez general manager.

The restaurant will employ students from the community and the University, giving them more opportunities for hands-on experience in retail business operations. Toastiez is also serving as experience for Davis, who is earning a masters degree in business administration through GU.

[For me] it provides hands-on experience in the business realm, and Im able to pour into students and help them learn as well, Davis says.

Starting May 10, hours will be 11 am to 2 pm for lunch, and 4 to 6 pm for dinner, Monday through Saturday. The restaurant will be open for dine in or carry out and COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed. Restaurant hours will extend after a grand opening, planned for mid-June.

Davis says Toastiez staff plans to work on gluten-free options and dairy alternatives to include on the menu in the future.

Davis adds that the hope is for the restaurant to bring the community and Greenville University together. Toastiez will offer another cuisine option for the community, provide hands-on business experience for GU students, and support local businesses within the city of Greenville, all within a building that represents a partnership between the University and the city.

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About the SMART Center

Born out of rural Greenville, Illinois, Greenville SMART initiatives unify the resources of the local community, university, regional organizations, and businesses, to cultivate economic development, educational opportunities and connections for the region and beyond. The SMART Center, a multi-use, historic facility in the downtown square, is one such initiative, repurposed for community good, for growth, and for entrepreneurship. It features an incubation space for startup restaurants, conference room spaces, various office spaces, a commercial kitchen for broadcast cooking and nutrition shows, and a podcast studio.www.greenvillesmart.com