After a six-year hiatus, restauranteur Mario Astorga and his restaurants Mario’s Early Toast are making a return to Folsom. The popular local chain of brunch eatery will be coming back to the city where it all started, taking over a location previously home to Mexican fare.
“I’m grateful to this city and I’m grateful that I’ve been given an opportunity to come back here,” said Astorga, who made recently made the announcement on social media.
Mario’s Early Toast is known for its unique brunch themed fare, from Mexican breakfasts to eggs benedicts, French toasts and those unique Maui waffles they are known for. The menu has long been themed after Astorga’s Hawaiian and Mexican heritage.
The new location will be at 6693 Folsom Auburn Road in the Hillswood Plaza center, a 4,000 square foot spot that has been occupied for several years by Limon E Sal Taqueria & Bar as well as Sushi Bar, which has shared the property for the last several months.
Limon E Sal has been owned and operated by a relative of Astorga’s and has been struggling financially. The Mexican restaurant recently made the announcement that they would focus their efforts on their taco truck side of the business and the restaurant was being remodeled to welcome Mario’s Early Toast in the coming months. Sushi Bar will continue to operate in the adjacent space.
Astorga first opened Early Toast in Folsom’s Parkway center back in 2008. The restaurant continued to operate until 2017 when he closed the Folsom location and focused on several locations in Placer County, including Granite Bay, Rocklin and Roseville.
“We are very blessed that we can go back to Folsom where it all started and bring Early Toast back.”
Astorga said the owner of Limon E Sal, who is a family member, ran into financial struggles with the business, which resulted in the opportunity for Mario’s Early Toast to take over the Folsom space. The approximately 4,000-square-foot space will also come with a full liquor license, he said, which will allow the restaurant to offer cocktails such a margaritas and mojitos.
Early Toast restaurants are open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. They are all known for serving everything on their menu, all day.
“We believe you should have your favorites any time of day, so we serve our entire menu all the time,” is Astorga’s motto. “If you want pancakes for lunch, we got it. How about a sandwich for breakfast? No problem. We are here to serve you, and we promise great food and hospitality.”
Remodeling is underway at the location. At this time, they have not announced a specific grand opening date but it is expected to be in August. To start planning on what to order for your first visit you can see the restaurant’s menu and learn more at www.mariosearlytoast.com.
