Anderson icon The Toast makes its return

A restaurant that’s been a staple in Anderson since the 1950s has been renovated and reopened by a local couple.  IPR’s Thomas Ouellette reports on what the return of a local landmark means to Anderson.

When Gary and Darla Sallee bought The Toast in 2023, the couple estimated it would take $200,000 to remodel the café.  But Darla Sallee says that figure then continued to grow.

“Well, it costs way more than we wanted to, but this is a million-dollar diner,” she said.

The Sallees say they stuck with the project out of both personal and community love for The Toast.

“And just wanted to make sure that the community got to continue that tradition of family and togetherness at the toast,” Darla Sallee said.

The interior of the newly renovated Toast Cafe. (Thomas Ouellette / IPR)

The Sallees report they have had to remodel everything from the floor to the ceiling, but have taken measures to ensure they stay true to The Toast’s classic American diner aesthetic. The couple hopes they have enabled the café to take the next 70 years in stride.

According to Darla, the opening last weekend saw more than 500 come to eat.

Some attendees were new to the café and others, like John Guajardo, had been eating at The Toast since the 1970s.

“We’d always come over here and get a bite to eat. Usually, about one to two o’clock in the morning before we hit back home, you know,” said Guajardo. “We’d always end our night at The Toast.”

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Darla Sallee adds that she has already seen other buildings in the downtown Anderson area receive some much needed touch-ups in light of The Toasts remodel.

“It’s been really exciting to see what’s been happening downtown as we’ve been upgrading The Toast. The building behind us is getting a facelift, two buildings on the block to our south are getting a little facelift,” she said. “It’s been fun to watch how when people invest in their little spot, how it can spread out.”

The café is going to remain closed for a few more weeks to train the new staff.  Darla Sallee says the support from the opening has shown her the people of Anderson are hungry for more.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer.  Contact him at thomas.ouellette@bsu.edu