1851

As consumer preferences are evolving, so too is California-based sandwich franchise&nbsp;<a href="https://www.togos.com/franchising/why-togos/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-togos-continues-to-stand-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-sandwich-segment-2710475" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Togo&rsquo;s</a>. While the rest of the packed sandwich segment rests on its laurels, continuously settling for ideas as stale as their bread,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/togos" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">Togo&rsquo;s</a>&nbsp;has chosen the path of innovation, leaving its competitors in a pile of crumbs.

2019 is chock-full of new initiatives for the brand, beginning with the rollout of a new store design and operating model. Togo&rsquo;s president Glenn&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;explained that the remodels involve implementing new interior design elements&nbsp;to make locations more engaging for customers and reinforce the brand&rsquo;s quality positioning and its emphasis on big portions with value prices.&nbsp;The revamped operating model involves implementing a new speed-line platform: an assembly-line approach to preparing sandwiches.

Both of these new elements are exciting brand developments that were adopted with the goal of increasing franchisee success across Togo&rsquo;s entire 200-plus unit system,&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;said.

&ldquo;Togo&#39;s is a longstanding, respected brand that&rsquo;s reinventing itself for today&rsquo;s consumer,&rdquo;&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;said. &ldquo;Consumers are looking for convenience more than ever, and Togo&rsquo;s new store concept and design cater to that. Our speed-line operating system provides a new way of delivering food to the customer faster and more accurately. Where the legacy operating model is deli-style, our stores are transitioning to an assembly-line approach, creating a process that&#39;s now much more relevant.&rdquo;

Not only does the new service model make it easier to get your food at Togo&rsquo;s&mdash;it makes it easier to work there, too.&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;explained that the strategic change was adopted in accordance with Togo&rsquo;s brand mission: to be the best place to eat for guests, the best place to work for employees and the best place to own for franchisees.

&ldquo;We always think of those three things when making brand changes. The speed-line is good for our customers, employees and franchise owners because it involves less of a labor component,&rdquo;&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;pointed out.

Also on deck for 2019 are a series of new menu additions, starting with the system-wide launch of Togo&rsquo;s first-ever hot sandwich line. The menu upgrade was made possible by adding a new energy-efficient combination oven to every Togo&rsquo;s kitchen, a move that&nbsp;CMO&nbsp;Anna Nero sees as a huge step forward for the brand. &nbsp;

&ldquo;Today, all of our competitors offer a true hot sandwich, so this helps bring Togo&rsquo;s top-of-mind,&rdquo; she said. After the initial hot sandwich line rollout in April, the brand plans to debut a hot pretzel sandwich line and a subsequent hot chicken sandwich line in 2019, as well. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re making the&nbsp;combi-oven&nbsp;as hardworking as possible to make this investment extremely worthwhile for our franchisees,&rdquo; Nero added.

Offering chicken as a protein will be new at Togo&#39;s in 2019. As the popularity of chicken continues to climb among consumers, Togo&rsquo;s developed its menu in response. A whole line of hot sandwiches centered on chicken (buffalo chicken, chicken parmesan and chicken-bacon-ranch sandwiches among them) are poised to take the brand to another level this year.

&ldquo;The new Togo&#39;s concept&mdash;its awesome design, hot sandwich platform, and versatile&nbsp;combi-oven&mdash;allows us to do a lot of things and opens up a whole new avenue for us,&rdquo;&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;noted, mentioning breakfast and side items as possible future developments for the brand.

Beyond revamping its operations model to better compete in the crowded sandwich segment, Togo&rsquo;s has also been quick to embrace technology to amplify convenience for customers. To this end, the brand has invested in a new app and website in addition to establishing a partnership with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/ordering-platform-olo-secures-18-mill-ion-in-funding-2708836#mainTrending" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">online and mobile ordering platform Olo</a>&nbsp;and a host of third-party delivery platforms.

&ldquo;Third-party delivery is a big talking point for us and all restaurants right now,&rdquo; Nero said. &ldquo;Over the last year, we&#39;ve been cultivating those relationships so that when new franchisees enter the system or current franchisees want to expand, we are inundating them with information about the various services.&rdquo; Nero said Togo&rsquo;s tests all emerging third-party delivery services through its corporate stores so that the brand can present franchisees with enough information to make the best possible decision for them.

Togo&rsquo;s franchisee support expands beyond the third-party delivery arena, as well.

&ldquo;In discussion with others in the franchise community, I repeatedly hear remarks about how much time we spend with our franchisees,&rdquo; Nero said. &ldquo;We are constantly commended for how thorough of a walkthrough we do with prospective and new franchisees going through the process. We pride ourselves on being super responsive to franchisees, too. Despite having over 200 locations, Togo&rsquo;s is a really tight community. There&rsquo;s a lot more personalized service and support provided at the unit level, which isn&rsquo;t something easily found elsewhere in the segment.&rdquo;

As the brand dives into this year of significant change, Togo&rsquo;s recognizes that unparalleled franchisee support is an integral aspect of successful innovation. By being a resource for its franchise system, Togo&rsquo;s will continue to remain head and shoulders above the competition for years to come.

&ldquo;Togo&#39;s is showing the colors of the most innovative,&rdquo;&nbsp;Lunde&nbsp;said. &ldquo;We won&#39;t ever get complacent, this year being just one strong example. The sandwich category isn&#39;t is known for innovation, so Togo&#39;s is going to push that consistently, in 2019 and beyond.

How Togo's Continues to Stand Out in the Increasingly Crowded Sandwich Segment

1851 Franchise

Fresh off of a brand revamp with further transformation on the way, Togo’s propensity for innovation is a breath of fresh air in a segment fraught with complacency.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-togos-continues-to-stand-out-in-the-increasingly-crowded-sandwich-segment

Comfort Keepers

From Coast to Heartland: Why One Comfort Keepers® Franchisee Keeps Expanding

from-coast-to-heartland-why-one-comfort-keepers-franchisee-keeps-expanding

Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions

Filta Franchise - David Hoover Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

From Stadiums to Sustainability: How David Hoover Is Scaling Impact With Filta

filta-franchise-david-hoover-scaling-impact

TruBlue Home Service Ally

Be a Community Hero: How TruBlue Franchisees Are Changing Lives Beyond Business

be-a-community-hero-how-trublue-franchisees-are-changing-lives-beyond-business

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Wraps Up Record-Breaking Q3 With National TV Launches, Platform Growth and Key Leadership Promotion

caring-transitions-wraps-up-record-breaking-q3-with-national-tv-launches-platform-growth-and-key-leadership-promotion

SweatHouz

SweatHouz SWTHZ Franchise - Hunter and Mallory Mitchem - Franchisee Feature - 1851 Franchise

From Aerospace to Wellness: Hunter Mitchem’s Journey to a SweatHouz Empire

sweathouz-franchise-hunter-mitchem-6g

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

Subway Franchisees Resist Expensive Remodel Directives

subway-franchisees-resist-expensive-remodel-directives

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

How goGLOW Turned Clean Beauty Into a Scalable Franchise and Why It’s Accelerating Now

goglow-clean-beauty-tanning-franchise

image of mellow mushroom deep dive into financials article from 1851 franchise

Mellow Mushroom Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

mellow-mushroom-franchise-deep-dive

How Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop Has Expanded Into One of the Restaurant Industry’s Most Exciting Franchise Opportunities

meet-the-franchisor-capriottis-david-bloom

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025

early-childhood-education-child-care-franchises

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

How Togo's Continues to Stand Out in the Increasingly Crowded Sandwich Segment

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS