We're Here to Toast
The story behind the magic of Toastworthy and how we ended up rolling around DC in an Airstream-turned-champagne-bar.
Hi there! I’m Sophie, the solo founder and owner of Toastworthy.
I was born in Wisconsin, but have lived in DC for ten years. My beverage of choice is a glass of champagne or rosé, naturally.
You can find me walking my dog around Shaw, grabbing a coffee at La Colombe, taking Cutseven class, or serving drinks out of an Airstream.
It’s been quite the ride getting here, but I’ve loved starting a business and am proud to see it come to life.
I guess we can start when I was just thirteen bussing tables in my hometown, Madison, WI. It was a small family owned business that taught me tough love about getting dirty with grace and how to move fast. With lines around the block on the weekend, it’s where I found my love for the restaurant hustle. Ever since, I’ve taken every opportunity and worked almost every type of job in retail and restaurants.
I got my bar experience in college. While some spend their college years going to frat parties, I spent mine serving shots to frat boys.
I believe that everything happens for a reason — and that experience was no different. Bars aren’t everyone’s cup of champs, including my mother’s who was more than slightly concerned when I started. Regardless of your taste for bars, they have been an essential part of society for thousands of years — bringing people together to celebrate the big and little moments in life.
Working at a sports bar solidified my love of hustle. I mastered the art of serving a crowd full of rowdy Eagles fans on Sundays — and trust me it’s an art. I learned about how to run a bar biz, but most importantly experienced the community that comes with a local dive bar. Every bar has its own community, and I started to build mine during those years serving Miller Lite pitchers.
After graduation, I transitioned from the bar scene to public health (short detour) and then to retail. I started at SoulCycle, where I experienced another side of hospitality and learned how to build and maintain a brand — and a damn good one, if you ask me. A few years later, I was recruited to sweetgreen, returning full circle to the restaurant business. My time there continued to strengthen the marketing and branding skill sets that I had been naturally developing for over a decade.
It was an ideal spot to be in — two great brands on my resume, a steady 9-to-5, and a growing career in marketing. I’m still not entirely sure what was off, but I quit. No job, no back-up plan. I just knew I needed more.
That’s when Toastworthy was born. Being unemployed gave me the space to think big. The idea came late at night when I was scrolling through Instagram — who hasn’t been there? This time it was worth the extra scroll.
Light Bulb: let’s do a pop-up bar out of an Airstream — mixing a brand with a bar and adding wheels, because why the hell not?!
If we were going to do this, though, it had to be stunning. Because let’s be honest, the 'bar look' needs a refresh. We’ll add flower arrangements, white walls, a beautiful design, and pops of gold — the perfect vehicle to bring that local-pub, community atmosphere to your next party.
So, here we are! We’re only just getting started in Washington, DC, with big dreams and a glass of champs in hand. Follow along and enjoy the ride, because one day we just might park somewhere for good… ;)