Togo's Open Its First Nontraditional Location Inside a California C-store

MODESTO, Calif. — Togo's sandwich brand has entered the convenience channel with the opening of a new location inside a store in Modesto. The new restaurant is a nontraditional buildout that operates within a Union 76 gas station at 4506 Dale Road, joining a Starbucks Coffee.

Multi-brand and multi-unit franchisee Jivtesh Gill operates the location. Gill also owns 15 different gas station and hotel businesses across more than 70 locations throughout the Central Valley and East Bay areas of California.

Gill stated that he opened the Togo's location in Modesto due to being a great fit with his existing retail concepts.

"After doing a lot of research and interviewing folks with other sandwich chains, I determined that Togo's was the right brand for me," Gill said. "The operation's speedline and labor model are all very simple and create a streamlined system, especially as businesses struggle to find employees. Also, the ease of preparation and inventory control made Togo's an ideal addition to our existing portfolio of gas stations."

Togo's offers a streamlined and flexible buildout that allows franchisees to establish a smaller site within an existing convenience store or gas station. The brand recently began offering an even better match for such nontraditional locations with the launch of its revamped restaurant model, according to the company. Known as Togo's 3.0, the new model incorporates several exciting components, such as a bright and open design with a vibrant color palette marked by blue and orange highlights; self-ordering kiosks; and hot and melty sandwiches, made possible by the introduction of a new combination oven.

"It's been great working with Togo's. Everyone from the franchising team to the design team and even the CEO have been so great — they're hands-on folks who are deeply involved in the business," Gill said. "The basics of the brand are what make it so strong. We have the right model and the right product. Our sandwiches are better than any other out there. In fact, one of my two boys will only eat Togo's sandwiches."

In addition to its high-quality sandwich offerings and streamlined 3.0 model, Togo's decision to incorporate more nontraditional locations allows franchisees to capitalize on a variety of top-tier real estate locations, according to the brand. Convenience store and gas station owners have the opportunity to diversify their portfolios and maximize the potential of the spaces they own.

"Togo's restaurants can now easily adapt to locations beyond traditional sites, which is why we're so excited for this new restaurant in Modesto," said John Dyer, vice president of franchise sales and real estate. "Now, we are actively looking to bring our concept to non-traditional locations like convenience stores and gas stations throughout 2022. The Togo's 3.0 model has proven that the concept is strong and can work in a variety of locations. This is a great opportunity for prospective franchisees to jump in and tap into the power of the Togo's brand with a very low investment cost."

San Jose, Calif.-based Togo's Eateries LLC is a nearly 200-location sandwich franchise that uses high-quality ingredients, including fresh artisan breads, hand sliced premium pastrami, turkey and roast beef, and Hass avocados that are hand-mashed in-house daily.