Multi-Unit Togo’s Franchisee Signs on To Open New Location Despite COVID-19

Never say never again. That’s true whether you’re James Bond or a Togo’s franchise owner.

Just ask Letha Tran, who’s quickly becoming the San Jose area’s sandwich queen. She’s planning to open her fifth location of this homegrown sandwich franchise founded in 1971. Her newest location: Coleman Landings near the San Jose Airport.

The 40-year-old San Jose-based businesswoman says she never set out to be a restaurant mogul, but opportunity keeps knocking and she keeps answering.

“They're opportunities that I just couldn't pass up, every single time,” she said. “I didn't really seek them out. My dream had always been to open one store and stick with it. I wanted that stable income. I wanted to own my business. I didn't expect to expand. But almost every year since coming into the system, I have built or acquired another restaurant.”

The daughter of entrepreneurially minded Vietnamese immigrants, who managed to flee to the United States in 1975 and then open their own businesses, Tran first got the idea to open her own Togo’s franchise while she was still in college. She even tried to convince her parents to help her buy one, but they insisted she finish school.

She didn’t give up on her dream and, after leaving her job in corporate HR, she opened her first Togo’s location seven years ago and hasn’t looked back since.

But opening a new restaurant location in the middle of pandemic? That could send shivers down the spines of even the biggest restaurant operators. Tran herself was a little surprised at first.

However, another sandwich chain, Which Wich, had just closed a nearby location, so Tran saw an opportunity. She could convert the location the Togo’s brand for a fraction of the cost of what it would normally cost to build a new one.

“Since it was already built out as a sandwich restaurant, the construction costs will be far less. I’m basically opening a brand-new location for what it would cost me to remodel one of my existing locations. I’m just looking more towards the future. And I think the future is very bright with Togo’s.”

The fact that a competitor had just closed the location was also not a deterrent to Tran. Togo’s first store opened in San Jose near San Jose State University and, with nearly 200 locations, there are tons of loyal fans in the area.

“Coleman Landings is a great shopping center with lots of traffic due to a number of other strong restaurant tenants in the center, such as In-N-Out Burger, Chipotle and Starbucks, Togo’s will be a great addition, given its long history. There are already 17 Togo’s locations in the city of San Jose. It truly is a San Jose original.”

Plus, she was able to negotiate a manageable lease because the landlord was motivated to work with her due to the pandemic and the rising commercial vacancy rate in the area. “We were even able to get a tenant improvement allowance and some free rent concessions based on the opening date,” she said.

Now, with the vaccine on the horizon, Tran is even more convinced that the location was a smart investment. “I feel like [Togo’s] needed to be more represented in this area, especially next to the airport and Earthquakes Soccer Stadium. I love the location and that we are catering to fans of San Jose,” Tran says. “I feel like there is still even more to give to this amazing community.”