News

Togo’s seeking 'fastest sandwich maker'

Togo's Eateries has announced the return of the National Sandwich Making Contest, a competition to find the chain's fastest sandwich maker in the United States.

June 26, 2015

Togo's Eateries has announced the return of the National Sandwich Making Contest, a competition to find the fastest Togo's sandwich maker in the United States. Crew members from among the brand’s 255 restaurants have entered the contest.

"The National Sandwich Making Contest is all about taking pride in who we are and what we do at Togo's," said Jim Peros, COO of Togo's. "Our crewmembers treat their work as a craft and wow our customers with their excellent guest service every single day. This is a chance to celebrate our team members who take the sandwich craft to an extraordinary level."

The National Sandwich Making Contest follows a set of rules that reward competitors for speed and accuracy. Every contestant makes the same set of sandwiches, all made the "Togo's Way." After the clock starts, contestants are timed to see how quickly they can make, wrap and pack the sandwich and clean their stations.

The in-restaurant competitions took place between May 25 and June 7; the winners of each competition, as judged by the franchisee or manager, go on to compete in the regionals, held in California  from June 27-28, according to the release. Over 100 sandwiches made during regionals will be donated to local charities, including Our Daily Bread in San Jose, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and Loaves and Fishes in Sacramento.

Three final contestants will compete in the finals Sept. 1, at the Togo's Annual Conference at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles. Medalists at each level of competition earn cash prizes and other rewards.

The judging is strict and methodical, according to the release. Each contestant is video taped and timed down to the hundredth of a second. Judges look for a total of 15 official errors that each come with a time penalty. For instance, a torn bag adds three seconds to the total time, while the wrong number of pickles costs two seconds.