Toast to open a second location in Cherry Creek

"We weren't really looking to do a second restaurant, but everything just kind of fell into place," explains Bill Blake. Along with business partner Jason Parfenoff, he's just signed a lease on the long-vacated Village Inn space at 222 Columbine Street where they plan to open a second outpost of Toast, the perpetually packed pancake house whose original location is at 2700 West Bowles Avenue in Littleton.

"Our real estate agent and Western Development Company really went to extremes to get us in here, and even though the building's going to be demolished in four years, we think this is a great fit for us and what we do," says Blake. "There aren't a lot of breakfast places in Cherry Creek and our pricing is really low, with nothing on the menu over $15, so we think we can be very competitive down here."

Plans are in the works to repaint the interior -- "We definitely want to get rid of the nasty teal, pink and orange Village Inn color scheme," confesses Blake -- but aside from that, the 180-seat dining room will remain largely unchanged.

As for the menu, that won't change much from Toast's current lineup, either. "We'll add a few sandwiches and salads, milkshakes and malts and a cherry pancake because of the neighborhood," Blake promises.

You should be able to order that pancake on Thursday, October 1, which is the date that Blake has targeted for the opening. "We need to get out the power washer and scrapers for the kitchen, but by and large, we're ready to roll," he says.