Togo’s Holdings, LLC, the West-coast franchise-based sandwich eatery, promoted its recently-hired Chief Concept Officer, Glenn Lunde, to President effective June 1, 2017. Hired in January, Lunde reports to directly to the Board. He was selected to lead Togo’s brand transformation strategies, focusing particularly on the chain’s operating system and menu strategy.
“Togo’s most important customer is the franchisee,” said Lunde. “If the franchisee is happy, that means they are making guests are happy, too. Which is why, in the years ahead, Togo’s executive team will work closely with franchisees to perfect the brand’s franchise model. By making the business easier to operate, they can boost in-restaurant efficiency and the franchisee’s bottom line.”
Lunde’s menu strategy has already seen successful testing of improved deli-style Turkey and Avocado in its number two best seller, the “# 24.” The improvement is part of a comprehensive menu and recipe transformation that took effect system-wide on June 7th.
“As a Bay Area native, I’ve been a huge Togo’s fan for decades, and I believe the brand has a ton of untapped potential. I am excited to work with the Togo’s franchisees as we implement new ways to simplify our business model and thrill our customers,” Lunde adds.
As a restaurant executive for more than 15 years, Lunde has led several restaurant concepts through turnarounds, market expansion and profitable growth. Before joining Togo’s, Glenn served as Chief Concept Officer for Einstein Noah’s Restaurant Group, a 900-unit company where he led menu architecture, culinary innovation, restaurant design and marketing efforts. He also served as the Chief Marketing Officer for Panda Restaurant Group, where he championed Panda’s first TV campaign and helped to elevate the brand’s guest experience from a fast food cafeteria to a fast-casual restaurant to become the dominant player in the Asian restaurant category.
“Glenn has a track record of building national restaurants into sustainable, profitable operations that achieve long-term success. He will be a valuable leader for our brand repositioning and concept development efforts,” said Tony Gioia, former CEO at Togo’s.
Hiring Glenn as its new President is one of several big hires announced by Togo’s. Nader Garschi was also recently added to its executive leadership team as Chief Operating Officer. Garschi will oversee company and franchise locations, as well as restaurant services and training, operations innovation, and new restaurant openings. Garschi has more than thirty years of restaurant management experience for outstanding brands, including Lyon’s Restaurants, Taco Bell, and Panda Restaurant Group.
Also joining Togo’s executive leadership team, as Senior Vice President of Marketing, is Anna Nero. Nero, who previously served as Executive Director of Marketing at Panda Restaurant Group, with extensive brand marketing experience from her tenure during Panda’s growth from 38 restaurants to over 1,300. She will be responsible for Brand Creative, Marketing Promotions, Culinary Innovation, and all Media Communications.