1851

In 1971, the first <a href="http://www.togosfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=togos-brand-advisory-council-closes-gap-between-franchisor-and-franchisee-2704989" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Togo&rsquo;s</a> restaurant opened in San Jose. In 1977, the company began franchising. In the six years in between, Dan Pearson, then a college student in the Bay Area, discovered the sandwich brand, became a loyal customer, and in 1974, became an employee. Pearson worked at <a href="https://togos.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=togos-brand-advisory-council-closes-gap-between-franchisor-and-franchisee-2704989" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Togo&rsquo;s</a> for three years before opening his own in 1977. His was the 11th restaurant in operation.

Few people in the Togo&rsquo;s franchise system have been with the brand as long as&nbsp;Pearson has. Pearson has owned or co-owned 16 different Togo&rsquo;s locations over the years, and he&rsquo;s worked closely with hundreds of franchisees and corporate team members, making him uniquely suited to represent the interests of franchisees to the corporate team, which he does as a member of Togo&rsquo;s Brand Advisory Council.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been around for a long time,&rdquo; said Pearson. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always been in leadership positions in one form or another. My role on the BAC is in some ways the culmination of that experience.&rdquo;

The Brand Advisory Council is an organization that works to gather the concerns of franchisees and work through them with the corporate team. Its members are franchisees, each elected by the network of Togo&rsquo;s owners. According to Pearson, the BAC creates a level playing field for partnership between the corporate team and the franchisees.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not a unidirectional process,&rdquo; Pearson said. &ldquo;Most avenues for franchisees to connect with the corporate team are through corporate-led events such as town-hall meetings and the annual convention. Those are great ways for us all to connect, but they are organized around agendas set by the corporate team. The BAC gives franchisees an avenue to communicate with the corporate team according to our own agenda.&rdquo;

That level playing field is a key component of the Togo&rsquo;s franchise strategy, which seeks out and utilizes franchisee input wherever possible. Pearson says that the advisory council is an extension of a larger philosophy espoused by Togo&rsquo;s President, Glenn Lunde.

&ldquo;Glenn always talks about Team Togo&rsquo;s,&rdquo; Pearson said. &ldquo;That idea frames every aspect of our operations. We are constantly working to make sure that franchisees, vendors, and the corporate team are working as partners toward the same goals.&rdquo;

For Pearson, who has worked at different locations across northern California throughout his career, that partnership is essential for a franchise system, which operates with great physical distance between team members.

&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not like any other business where most people work in the same building and you can hold meetings regularly,&rdquo; Pearson said. &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t actively promote open lines of communication, franchisees can feel isolated. The BAC is one of our mechanisms to make sure that never happens. All the franchisees are connected to each-other, and we are all connected to corporate. That&rsquo;s what makes a business strong.&rdquo;

In addition to setting up meetings with franchisees and corporate team members, the Brand Advisory Council works on a number of programs to help establish and refine best practices, create mentorship opportunities, and schedule working forums. One of the BAC&rsquo;s most recent initiatives was spearheading a program to create leadership opportunities for Togo&rsquo;s franchisees.

&ldquo;Glenn suggested the leadership program, and we&rsquo;ve been working together closely on it,&rdquo; said Pearson. &ldquo;We brought together 20 of the newer, more engaged franchisees to help mentor and set them up for leadership positions. We&rsquo;re trying to empower these folks so they can do big things with Togo&rsquo;s.&rdquo;

The opportunity to work with young franchisees to help support their careers was what drew Pearson to the Brand Advisory Council in the first place, and it&rsquo;s one of the reasons he continues to serve. Because every member of the council is also a full-time Togo&rsquo;s owner, Pearson says the position is duty served out of love for the brand and fellow franchisees.

&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve had great people on the BAC over the years, people who are extremely dedicated to what they do,&rdquo; said Pearson. &ldquo;Everyone on the council is running their business at the same time, so you have to really love and take a personal stake in the brand. I&rsquo;m extremely proud of the work we do, and I enjoy doing it. I enjoy working with the franchisees, and I enjoy working with the corporate team. Glenn has worked hard to build a team of smart, passionate people on both sides of the business, and he continues to work hard to improve the system. He takes advice as well as anyone I&rsquo;ve known, and that attitude extends to the entire corporate team. I feel that the entire franchise system is in really good hands.&quot;

Togo’s Brand Advisory Council Closes Gap Between Franchisor and Franchisee

1851 Franchise

Dan Pearson, a Togo’s Team member since 1974, is well equipped to represent franchisees in partnership with the corporate support center team

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

togos-brand-advisory-council-closes-gap-between-franchisor-and-franchisee

Dillas Quesadillas

Design with photo of Michael Mabry and Dillas Primo Quesadillas logo

Franchise Times: New Franchise Exec Says Dillas Is Bringing ‘Excitement’ Back to QSR Category

michael-mabry-franchise-growth

Lawn Squad

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad 

Greener, Faster, Smarter: Why Entrepreneurs Are Choosing Lawn Squad as a Treatment-Only Lawn Care Franchise

lawn-squad-franchise-opportunity

Jollibee

How Jollibee’s Veteran Leadership Team Is Rewriting the Playbook for U.S. Expansion

franchise-leadership-growth

Woodhouse Spas

Photo of guest checking in at Woodhouse Spas reception desk

franchise-questions-answered

Mellow Mushroom

How Mellow Mushroom’s Model Made it the Perfect Addition to Brad Harper’s Restaurant Portfolio

How Mellow Mushroom’s Flexible Model Made it the Perfect Addition to Brad Harper’s Growing Restaurant Portfolio

mellow-mushroom-brad-harper-restaurant-growth

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

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

Buying a fitness franchise, people exercising

Boutique vs. Big Box Gym Franchises: Which Offers Best ROI in the $7 Billion Fitness Market?

buy-fitness-franchise-boutique-big-box-comparison

Pieology Pizza Enters Chapter 11 Following Costly Bid To Save Struggling Stores

pieology-pizza-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy

CNBC: McDonald’s Will Assess if Franchisees Are Offering Value for Customers Under New Standards

mcdonalds-franchise-standards-value-metric

How AI Is Transforming Restaurant Operations and Franchises

ai-impact-restaurants-franchises-human-centric-technology

Round Table Pizza Franchisees Take FAT Brands to Court Over Marketing Fund Mismanagement

round-table-pizza-franchisees-take-fat-brands-to-court-over-marketing-fund-mismanagement

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Eli Cohen, Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

C5 Restaurants Grows its Texas Footprint with 40 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Locations Planned Statewide

eli-cohen-laynes-chicken-fingers-texas

image of stephen westerman and matthew westerman, owners Fort Walton Beach Two men and a junk truck

Twin Brothers Move From Managers to Owners with New TWO MEN AND A JUNK TRUCK Franchise on the Gulf Coast

twin-brothers-two-men-and-a-junk-truck-fort-walton-beach

image of michael panos and michel panos, owners of mellow mushroom in Atlanta

What Makes Mellow Mushroom a Strong Franchise Investment? Insights From the Panos Family’s Metro Atlanta Portfolio

mellow-mushroom-franchise-panos-restaurant-group-metro-atlanta

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

Photo of group of dogs standing together in day care facility

Top Pet Boarding and Day Care Franchise Opportunities for 2025

top-pet-boarding-daycare-franchises

AI-related job cuts, October U.S. job cuts, American job cut record

AI-Fueled Layoffs Reshape the U.S. Job Market — And Highlight Franchising’s Resilience

ai-job-cuts-franchising-path-forward

Paris Baguette Welcomes Zac Sulma as New Chief Operating Officer

new-coo-zac-sulma

Togo’s Brand Advisory Council Closes Gap Between Franchisor and Franchisee

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS