Phoenix farmers market staple levels up with permanent Valley eatery

On Saturday morning, the line for Phoenix’s next serious sandwich builds steadily, winding around Uptown Plaza for a solid hour or two wait. 

An anthropomorphic illustration of a red-and-white shokupan, Mr. Toastie, grins down at the hopeful customers.

Inside, behind the counter, co-owner and head chef Sumin Kim works methodically, placing a fried egg and slices of jalapeño over gooey, melted mozzarella, topping several of their signature bulgogi ribeye sandwiches while her husband, Sean Atkinson, takes orders. 

Along the white walls, nestled between ruby shelving and trim, more vaguely human toast plushies sit at attention, looking down on the practically standing-room-only crowd. 

Let’s Toast got its start as a pop-up, becoming an Uptown Farmers Market and Phoenix food festival staple. The couple’s take on Korean street food staples is taking off, and on Saturday, their first brick-and-mortar location opened in the former Scoopwell’s Dough Bar. 

Kim and Atkinson started this journey almost three years ago, balancing day jobs with pop-ups across the city. Atkinson has a background in teaching and sales, and Kim was an actress in her native Seoul before moving to Phoenix to work in real estate. The two met when Atkinson, a Chandler native, began teaching and studying for his master’s degree in Korea. Kim’s mother had worked in the Seoul restaurant scene.

“They had a Korean barbecue place before, so Sumin had that background. When we moved back here and got married, we started thinking about some inspirations from Korea, and we thought about Americanizing it, sort of a fusion thing,” Atkinson explains. 

The duo started testing their recipes on the weekends. As the concept developed, the couple began to see their sandwich visions taking shape, with savory marinated ribeye with a hint of sweetness, a perfectly runny fried egg and a slathering of sauces. 

Now, three years later, Kim and Atkinson have taken their unique concept from pop-up to a permanent home, hoping that their fusion of flavors and iconic branding will make Let’s Toast a staple of the Phoenix food scene. 

Shokupan on the rise

As the pair developed their concept, one thing seemed to be missing from such a serious sando: the perfect bread. With such a saucy center, the pair knew that no ordinary bread would be up for the task. 

Using Seoul street food vendors as inspiration, Atkinson and Kim began looking into local Korean bakeries. Paris Baguette was the first place they encountered the Japanese milk bread Shokupan, which, with its slight sweetness and bouncy bake, was up for the task. However, the bakery could not supply the amount of bread they were looking for. So the couple figured they’d craft it themselves. 

“We just started trying to make our own, and over trial and error we got to a place with the recipe that we were happy with. It tastes really great, it’s thick, it fits the theme and it’s just very unique and not something you come across in Arizona much,” Atkinson says. 

The shokupan, with its tight crumb, absorbs moisture and, when toasted, forms a crispy crust perfect for fighting back against the generous, juicy fillings.

The extra-thick slices turned out to be the perfect vessel for Let’s Toast’s sandwiches, and have become an in-demand item on their own. Unfortunately, until the move into the brick-and-mortar, there was not enough to go around to supply both sandwiches and wholesale loaves. That all changed with this expansion. 

“People have been asking us for years to sell the bread, but we didn’t have the production capacity to meet that demand. It was like our gold!” Atkinson says.

Now, however, things aren’t quite so scarce. Thanks to a full-time baker at the new restaurant, customers can take fresh shokupan to go, wrapped in a clear takeaway bag that prominently features a sly Mister Toastie face imposed on the loaf. 

And while the loaves may be perfect for at-home experimentation (it seems to be begging for a French toast situation or a summer BLT), you can expect to see a small selection of new menu items at the restaurant as they settle in.

“We’re very, very picky, and we are still testing to see what makes the cut, Atkinson says. “We don’t like a dense, four-page menu where you don’t know what’s good. We like having four or five things on the menu, and every one is a certified banger.”

In addition to the massively popular Bulgogi Cheesesteak, Let’s Toast runs their take on a traditional Bacon, Egg and Cheese, with a fluffy Korean-style egg scramble, homemade sriracha and mayo, along with a grilled cheese.

There is also a Cinnamon Butter Toast, which features strawberries and cream stuffed between sugar-torched slices of shokupan. 

From Uptown’s market to plaza

For all of Let’s Toast’s current success – recent days have ended in complete sellouts – the learning curve has been steep. Not content to be tethered to one specific area, Let’s Toast initially spread themselves thin, popping up at farmers markets and numerous food and cultural festivals.

“It’s been really hard, but we’ve learned a lot. When we first started, we really had to try and get to every farmers market and festival we could,” Atkinson says.

The Uptown Farmers Market became their most consistent location. The large market sets up about a mile from their new home, and Atkinson hopes that means market customers will find them in the neighborhood.

The Let’s Toast team also credits Uptown Plaza for investing in smaller, more diverse concepts, and not leaning into strictly hosting big international endeavors. And while they might not have the backing of a franchise just yet, Atkinson is optimistic that, should this location do well, other locations might follow. 

“We’ve had people come in and ask, ‘Are you a franchise?’ which is the biggest compliment, for a mom-and-pop to present like that. It’s always been the goal since day one to get our name out there, and hopefully have several locations and maybe eventually franchise,” Atkinson says. “Right now, it’s nice to be thought of as something that established.”

Toasting the future

Through it all, Atkinson and Kim have been excited to grow Let’s Toast in a way that feels unique, organic and a genuine reflection of their own personal dynamics. According to Atkinson, they both play to their strengths, and that division of talent helps them maintain the balance that has been the driving force behind Let’s Toast’s success. 

“We help each other. It’s always been my dream to start a business, and I have that side of things, but she has the kitchen expertise. So it’s good to have that synergy, and to push and support each other,” Atkinson says. “It’s great to get to do this dream together.”

While they remain humble, the Let’s Toast owners have grand ambitions. They’d like to see their shokupan on grocery shelves. There is also talk of merch, specifically the ever-watchful custom Mr. Toastie plushies that adorn the walls, which many patrons have asked about purchasing. 

“People love that guy! I could see milk bread plushies becoming a thing,” Atkinson says. 

Right now, Let’s Toast is taking it one step at a time. They are revamping their website to accommodate for the move and connecting with fans on social media, especially in the event of a sell-out. They also hope to return to farmers markets and festivals in the fall as they work out the logistics of the restaurant. 

“We are very lucky to have our supporters, our regulars who have supported us over the last three years,” Atkinson says. 

Judging by the long lines snaking down the sidewalk, that community of customers is growing. And that is something for Mister Toastie, who grins jubilantly above them, to smile about.  

Let’s Toast

100 E. Camelback Road, #164