Veteran Franchisees Capture Demand for Better Lunch in South San Francisco

Togo’s has served as one of the most beloved sandwich shops on the West Coast since its founding in 1971 by a young college student in California. Over the past 46 years, Togo’s has refined its menu and operations while staying true to its roots—offering big, fresh and meaty sandwiches made with only the best ingredients. This simple take on what it means to make a good sandwich has continued to set the brand apart for decades.

Now, two of the brand’s superior skills are the ability to spot well-suited prospective franchisees, and being able to discern which locations are most likely to thrive. Nailing both with its most recent partnership, the sandwich franchise signed former 7-Eleven franchisees Bobby and Jin Singh in 2015 to operate a location in South San Francisco, which opened in late December of 2016.

The Singhs opened their first Togo’s just north of the bustling San Francisco International Airport, harnessing the demand for better food options for travelers. The location, which is situated right next to the highway, also happens to operate in the middle of a number of major business offices, hotels and car rental companies. The Singhs quickly learned that those who work and live in the area have been waiting for fresh, delicious lunch options for quite some time. Already, the Singh’s Togo’s business is booming, with constant catering orders from nearby businesses and lines of hungry guests forming almost every day around lunchtime.

“We’ve been longtime fans of Togo’s Sandwiches, so when we were ready to try our hands at the restaurant industry, we knew Togo’s was a brand we were really interested in becoming a part of,” said Jin. “When we realized how many businesses were near where we would open, it seemed like a great place for our first location. And the response from customers has just been astonishing. We haven’t even had to promote the business because it’s become so busy on its own. So far, we keep having customers come in and tell us how happy they are that we’re here. Before opening, we were confident that we’d be well-received, but I don’t think Bobby or I could have guessed it would be to this extent.”

While the Singhs are currently focusing on ensuring the success of their first Togo’s business, they do hope to become multi-unit operators in the future. Partnering with Togo’s includes a franchise fee of $30,000, with start-up costs ranging from $239,700 to $543,200.

“What first really drew me in was the freshness and quality of the ingredients Togo’s uses,” said Bobby. “After meeting with the corporate team and seeing how passionate they are about the brand in addition to the high level of support they were prepared to offer, it was a no brainer. And now the business is taking off at a rate that’s exciting, and also a little overwhelming. If our biggest challenge at this point is that we’re busy, I’d say we’re in a good position.”

Both the Singhs and the Togo’s brand are looking forward to building on the strong momentum that has been established in South San Francisco.

“Working with Bobby and Jin as they’ve opened their first location has been great,” said Tony Gioia, Togo’s CEO. “The 17 years of franchise experience with 7-Eleven that they brought to the table meant that they were coming from a very knowledgeable and prepared place. We’re excited to watch them continue to thrive and grow with the Togo’s brand.”