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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.

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