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Established premium sandwich brand <a href="https://www.togos.com/franchising/why-togos/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-growth-minded-togos-franchisee-ali-navabpour-found-multi-unit-success-by-expanding-with-an-ever-innovating-brand-2710483" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Togo&rsquo;s</a> has certainly earned its status as a beloved provider of piled-high, big-and-juicy sandwiches since its 1971 founding in San Jose, California. With over 200 locations open or in development, <a href="https://1851franchise.com/togos/info/index.html" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Togo&rsquo;s</a> is well on its way to expanding its footprint to a size that rivals that of its fresh, ingredient-packed sandwiches.&nbsp;

Perhaps it&rsquo;s no surprise, then, that such a legacy brand has attracted a legacy franchisee in the form of multi-unit owner Ali Navabpour. Navabpour has been with the West Coast-inspired sandwich franchise for nearly two decades and operates two locations in Fremont, part of California&rsquo;s Bay Area. Interestingly, Navabpour opted to make the switch to fast-casual food service after 21 years in the IT industry.

&ldquo;After just over 20 years working as an IT professional, I decided to retire from that industry,&rdquo; said Navabpour. &ldquo;After I retired, I started working as an IT consultant with Dunkin&rsquo; Brands, which, at the time, owned Togo&rsquo;s. I became familiar with Togo&rsquo;s during that time and started thinking that it might be a business opportunity that would let me have the lifestyle and income I was looking for, while still providing exciting learning opportunities, too.&rdquo;

Navabpour signed on for his first location in 1990, opening a second location in 2017. He said that, in his time as an owner, he&rsquo;s learned that successful Togo&rsquo;s franchisees must have a distinct passion for what they do.

&ldquo;You need to have lots of passion and lots of perseverance and motivation. You must be hands-on and hardworking,&rdquo; said Navabpour. &ldquo;There have been challenges I&rsquo;ve faced, but over time, those became opportunities for growth and learning. This business has definitely provided me with what I wanted.&rdquo;

Another exciting opportunity facing Navabpour, as well as the whole Togo&rsquo;s franchise system, is the recent rollout of a holistic brand revitalization strategy known as <a href="https://1851franchise.com/togos/how-togo-s-continues-to-stand-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-sandwich-segment-2710146" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Togo&rsquo;s 3.0</a>. The initiative involves several exciting components including: redesigned restaurants and a refreshed color palette; POS ordering kiosks in renovated stores; third-party delivery partnerships with couriers like DoorDash; <a href="https://1851franchise.com/togos/togo-s-launches-new-hot-and-melty-pretzel-sandwiches-2709834" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">hot sandwiches</a> thanks to the introduction of a new combination convection oven; and a <a href="https://1851franchise.com/togos/togo-s-california-store-of-the-future-offers-fresh-look-and-experience-for-customers-and-greater-efficiencies-for-franchisees-2710357" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Speed Line kitchen system</a> that streamlines sandwich prep by leveraging an assembly line-style approach.

Both of Navabpour&rsquo;s Togo&rsquo;s locations have been modernized and streamlined thanks to Togo&rsquo;s 3.0, and the longstanding franchisee couldn&rsquo;t be happier.

&ldquo;Before Togo&rsquo;s 3.0, we weren&rsquo;t as relevant in the industry as we deserved to be,&rdquo; said Navabpour. &ldquo;Our look and operating system were outdated. Now, it&rsquo;s like a day-and-night change.&rdquo;

Navabpour added that he absolutely recommends that all Togo&rsquo;s franchisees endorse the rollout.

&ldquo;I believe it&rsquo;s essential to the franchisee community to make the switch to this 3.0 version. It makes us very competitive,&rdquo; Navabpour said.&nbsp;

Since remodeling his locations almost two months ago, Navabpour shared that he has seen a distinctly positive reaction.

&ldquo;I see the positive reactions from employees, from customers&mdash;they all love it!&rdquo; Navabpour said. &ldquo;In particular, my employees are enjoying the new operation system much more than the old one. Sales and customer count have both gone up, and we&rsquo;ve seen a lot of new faces who had never come into the store before. Overall, we&rsquo;ve enjoyed very positive results.&rdquo;

Even with his sights set on the future&mdash;thanks to the momentum being laid by Togo&rsquo;s 3.0&mdash;Navabpour can clearly remember what has inspired him to continue to grow with the brand.&nbsp;

&ldquo;When I first joined, what inspired me was the Togo&rsquo;s name and the product&mdash;the product that we have in the industry is very popular,&rdquo; explained Navabpour. &ldquo;Today in 2019, we still make sure that we&rsquo;re &lsquo;true to the sandwich&rsquo; in everything we do. I&rsquo;m excited to see the new management that has come onboard, the new concepts coming out and all the ways we&rsquo;re growing. I wanted to grow with a brand that was equally excited to expand.&rdquo;

Asked how he defines success since becoming a Togo&rsquo;s franchisee, Navabpour was emphatic.

&ldquo;Success for me is to have repeat customers, to see my employees grow in their career and to see happy customers coming in,&rdquo; said Navabpour. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s what drives me and what I will make sure continues as I continue with Togo&rsquo;s.

How Growth-Minded Togo’s Franchisee Ali Navabpour Found Multi-Unit Success by Expanding with an Ever-Innovating Brand 

1851 Franchise

Thanks to the rollout of brand refresh Togo’s 3.0, Navabpour is seeing both employees and guests at his two Togo’s locations revitalized and engaged.

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