Togo's Rolls Out Store of Future
Togo's store of the future—named Togo's 3.0— has been gaining momentum thanks to the completion of both physical and operational renovations at its Emeryville, Fremont and San Jose, Calif.,stores. The sandwich shop remodeled one corporate and two franchise owned locations to dramatically improve the overall guest experience with faster speed of service and a more contemporary dining environment.
"We wanted a store that reflected our nearly 50 years of leadership in the premium sandwich category," said Farid Biglari, Senior Director of Operations Services for Togo's. "To go with the stores' fresh look, we also wanted to increase speed of service for dine-in, takeout, and delivery convenience, so we create a far more efficient kitchen system that includes state-of-the-art equipment along with self-service kiosks."
Glenn Lunde, CEO of Togo's, said, "We've given the best sandwich, the best environment for our people and our guests."
With a clear view of the kitchen, guests can also see the efficiency of the newly reorganized prep system. The sandwich-making process now follows a speed line style in which a guest can order at either the self-service kiosk or talk to a cashier to place an order. Lunde said that this style of sandwich making is both faster and more accurate.
"The back of house operations are simplified, meaning it's easier and faster for consumers to receive their order," said Lunde. "We've also simplified the ordering process and are more accessible to our customers through our third-party delivery partnership with DoorDash and other partners."
The rebranding initiatives have yielded both customer satisfaction and strong sales growth. Two months since its remodel, the Emeryville Togo's has seen a 15% increase in same-store sales. While it is too soon to identify the precise sales climb for both the Fremont and San Jose stores, Lunde stated that those locations' initial sales numbers are up as well with no marketing efforts at this point.
In addition to a more streamlined kitchen system, the stores now utilize more white lighting sources, brighter flooring, and white walls with bright orange accents. Pops of bright blue tile break up the orange patterning along the wall .
Togo's newest Santa Clara store, which has been built from the ground up, opened in mid-May and the brand is eager to see how the fresh design will be received. Lunde stated that the four pending new stores will reflect the rebranding initiative as well.
With three locations successfully reopened, Togo's seeks to overhaul seven to eight more locations this year. The company has another 18 stores slated for rebranding in 2020 and will keep a close eye on sales growth and social media engagement.