Los Altos Town Crier » Togo’s quick-service restaurant opens on First Street

By Clyde Noel

$Image from article Togo\'s quick-service restaurant opens on First Street$

For those who haven’t noticed, last week Togo’s opened in the old Preston’s Candy & Ice Cream location on First Street. The owner, Srini Goli, purchased a Togo’s franchise and is ready to interact with customers and provide good service.

Togo’s is owned by Allied Domecq, the company that owns Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts and familiar wines such as Clos Du Bois, Atlas Peak, William Hill and Mumm Champagne.

A Black Forest ham and cheese sandwich at the restaurant costs $4.59 for the regular size and $5.69 for the large. The former is 6 to 7 inches long and the latter about a foot long.

Hot sandwiches, such as hot pastrami, are made from a special menu, and Ali Ganjtomari, from Togo’s franchise services, said the pastrami tastes just like pastrami from a New York City deli. Vegetarian sandwiches are also on the menu.

Togo’s also offers salads and soups. The taco salad for $4.79 is made up of corn tortilla chips layered with Togo’s classic chili, shredded cheese and diced tomatoes topped with sour cream and avocado.

Togo’s started on the San Jose State University

campus. College student Mike Cobler set up a small sandwich shop in 1972 to serve fellow students because the cafeteria food didn’t appeal to him. When the lines became too long, Cobler opened a second shop next to the campus.

The company began franchising in 1977, and today there are more than 424 franchised Togo’s restaurants.

Goli has hired 17 employees because, he said, “I want to provide good service with a quality product.” At any given time there are seven employees on the job.

The d/cor is like that of most quick-service restaurants. Customers step up to the counter to order their food and can watch employees prepare it. The register is at the end of the line. The restaurant has small tables inside and several outside that will compete for sidewalk space with Chris’s Fish & Chips.

The only pictures on the wall are posters advertising Togo’s catering service and its 8-foot-long sandwich.

Goli said, “When you come to Togo’s, we know what you want. Real food, real good and real fast — and you get it here.”

Togo’s is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It is located at 235 First St., Los Altos. For information or to order, call 948-999. The Web site is www.togos.com.