Franchise Times: Togo’s Multi-Unit Franchisee Plans Expansion to California

In a recent Q&A with Togo’s multi-unit operator Letha Tran, the franchisee talks about her history with the brand and how she reached five locations with hard work and dedication.

Tran first got the idea to own a Togo’s shop while she was a college student. “While I was in college, I saw a location and asked my mom to buy it for me, but she said I needed to finish college,” said Tran. “I was in front of their stores counting their customers and thinking, I bet they each spend about $10.”

Tran said that she got the entrepreneurial and small business mindset from her mom, who owned a convenience store.

“I remember my first job, I told my mom, ‘They keep telling me what to do.’ I just couldn’t see the rest of my life doing that and knew I had to do something else,” Tran said. “I cashed out basically everything I owned to open my first Togo’s and never looked back.”

Tran says the pandemic presented challenges, but it also helped accentuate Togo’s to-go model — and ultimately helped her grow to her five locations, with plans to open No. 6 soon. As for franchisees looking to branch out from the corporate world?

“Anything that is worth anything is hard work. People see me and think it’s easy — it’s not easy. It took a whole lot of work but it gets easier. I get a lot of people who say, I have some money, where should I put it. And I say no, this is not a business that you just invest in, I don’t think. I need to be in the stores, I need to be in the stores every day.”