How To Succeed as A Multi-Unit Franchisee: Letha Tran, Togo’s

Letha Tran grew up on Togo’s sandwiches, a nearly 200-unit franchise that has developed throughout the West Coast and beyond. Ever since college, she wanted to open one of her own Togo’s restaurants. Now, she is a multi-unit franchisee with the brand and owns four locations in the Bay Area.

After working in human resources for a few years, Tran was ready to pursue franchise ownership with the brand. First, she surveyed different areas and looked for potential growth. “Then I spoke to a lot of Togo’s franchisees about their relationship with the franchisor, and I was very comfortable with the things they had to say,” she said.

As the owner of four thriving locations, Tran believes her success comes from her exceptional team. “I developed my managers from within the store, and most of my managers started out as sandwich makers,” she said. “I believe what makes me successful is having a great team behind my business. It never feels like work to me, either, because I’m very passionate about my job.”

Her advice to franchisees wanting to grow their portfolio is threefold: Develop a great team and have exceptional managers, have access to capital and choose the right franchise partner to grow with. “Find a franchise partner that has strong leadership and strong franchise support,” she said. “For example, Togo’s was able to pivot its business during the pandemic by adding curbside delivery and mobile pickup, so it stabilized our sales even during a pandemic.”

According to Tran, a brand must have a great product to pique her interest. “I have to be passionate about the brand, because I can't sell something I don't believe in,” she said. “It needs to be a brand that people recognize.”

Watch the full interview in the video above, or click here to watch it on YouTube.

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