Togo’s Strengthens its California Foothold with Sacramento Expansion Plans

Forty-five years ago, a young college student opened the first Togo’s in a small shack near San Jose State University. With meaty portions and only the freshest ingredients, Togo’s won a cult-like following and spread throughout California. Soon enough, Togo’s became the “West Coast Original” for sandwich fanatics who crave fresh artisan breads, premium, hand-sliced meats and freshly-scooped Hass avocados.

Today, Togo’s serves guests from nearly 300 restaurants that are either open or under development in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona and Idaho. And now, the brand will continue to leverage its heritage and large, loyal customer following that it has built over the past four decades to fuel continued development in California—particularly throughout the Sacramento, Redding and Medford, OR area.

“As an iconic West Coast sandwich franchise established in 1971, we have a strong foothold in California and a rapid brand expansion going on throughout several Western states,” said Mike Norcup, the Vice President of Franchise Sales for Togo’s. “We’re hoping to continue saturating Sacramento and its surrounding areas to build an even stronger brand awareness, allowing us to reach more customers than ever before.”

To date, there are 32 restaurants in Sacramento—and according to Norcup, there’s room for more. In fact, fans have already made it clear that Togo’s is one of their favorites spots to grab a sandwich on the go—most recently, Sacramento Magazine named Togo’s their 2016 Best Sandwich Shop—a testament to the brand’s growing popularity. 

"Across the board, we have an exceptional group of franchisees who work very hard to uphold the integrity of the Togo's brand,” says Tony Gioia, Togo’s chairman & CEO. “As a group, Sacramento has done an exceptional job implementing our model's processes, from the training to the way the restaurants look. Sacramento sets the gold standard for guest experience, which has resulted in a loyal customer base and great sales."

In addition to having the benefit of strong brand awareness, targeting Sacramento for growth includes the added advantage of proximity to Togo’s existing supply chain, distribution centers and corporate support—making it easier for franchisees to seamlessly get their restaurants up and running.   

“It’s so important to be mindful of how we grow. Being able to support growth from a standpoint of brand awareness and from an operational, distributional, supply and marketing standpoint are all key to sustainable and smart growth,” Norcup added. “That’s why you won’t find us growing sporadically throughout the country—Togo’s grows in a way that ensures we’ll be able to support each and every one of our franchisees on a personal level.”

Terry Cornwell, who recently opened his first new location in Carmichael, California, can attest to the brand’s potential in Sacramento firsthand. Cornwell has been eating Togo’s sandwiches for decades, so after discovering the vast opportunity for Togo’s in Carmichael—a town just outside of Sacramento—he decided to open a restaurant of his own. With an investment range of $239,700 to $543,200, Cornwell built Carmichael’s Togo’s restaurant from the ground up with the help of corporate’s unparalleled support. And with a grand opening set for early 2017, Cornwell is already receiving plenty of positive buzz from the local community—a sure sign of good things to come in the years ahead.

“Togo’s has a long history of thriving in the West Coast, and the Sacramento area is no exception. Between strong leadership, growing brand awareness and a real demand for the brand’s crave-worthy products, there’s no limit to what Togo’s can achieve in Sacramento and beyond,” Cornwell said.