News

Quiznos re-branding with 2 concepts

Quiznos is collaborating with Tesser, a San Francisco-area branding and design firm, to revitalize its brand with two new concepts, from menus to design.

December 4, 2015

Quiznos is collaborating with Tesser, a San Francisco-area branding and design firm, to revitalize its brand with two new concepts, from menus to design. Twenty Denver locations are serving as test labs, according to a company press release.

Quiznos' objective is to revitalize the brand by using new brand positioning, new product innovation, improved customer service and a new guest experience. To do this it pursued two different paths simultaneously, creating two different programs to support best-in-class food concepts. The first drives the core business forward, while the second is a fast casual "lab” concept. Tesser helped Quiznos achieve record-setting growth from 2000 to 2010. Tesser worked closely with Quiznos to develop new brand positioning, which drove the development of the two concepts.

To build two distinct platforms for Quiznos customers, Tesser and the Quiznos focused on emotional and product platforms for each concept. The result is"toasteria” for the core brand and "grill” for the new fast casual entry, both of which will serve as test labs to refine the brand and grow its core and millennial audience.

"Consumer research tells us the toaster is the heart and soul of Quiznos,” said Tré Musco, president and chief creative officer at Tesser.

Tesser and Quiznos recharged all aspects of the core brand with "toasteria.” The new Quiznos will revitalize the core brand by re-engaging lapsed customers and appealing to a new audience as well as re-invigorating the franchise system.

Tesser brought in partner The Culinary Edge, also based in San Francisco, to develop new gourmet subs to compliment the new positioning and business goals.

"Quiznos and The Culinary Edge teams did an amazing job creating a fusion of craveable flavors,” said B. Todi, account manager at Tesser.

"Toasteria” will retain the existing logo originally created by Tesser but now executed into new signage. The evolved concept utilizes authentic materials and a brand layer art pack that spotlights the brand's heritage and food heritage. The more extensive version of "toasteria” opens sightlines into the kitchen and has a new customer flow to inspire confidence and reinforces authenticity. The less extensive version of "toasteria” applies the look and feel of the design to the existing layout for an impactful, cost-efficient solution.

For Quiznos Grill, Tesser created a design and branding strategy to move Quiznos to a best-in-class fast casual concept. Tesser developed and designed a new store concept, logo and other guest experiences that inspires confidence and an emotional connection to the brand's promise to deliver high-quality food. The Culinary Edge and Quiznos team created new hot sandwiches, salads, signature Not-chos, along with craft sodas, lemonades, local beers and wine on tap.

"Because customers had a strong, positive feeling about Quiznos hot sandwiches, we made 'HOT' the hero in our design and overall branding strategy,” said Brent White, design director of environments at Tesser.

"The new menu offerings and guest experience align perfectly with the team's strategy for an elevated fast casual dining experience,” said Jonathan Tress, senior VP of insights and innovation at Quiznos.

For Quiznos Grill, Tesser developed a customer-order experience with an upscale feeling.

"The 'grill' concept moves away from typical QSR experiences by eliminating standard menu boards and lines in favor of a more concierge experience,” Musco said.

Freestanding solid maple butcher-block order stations, a full view of the middle-of-house kitchen area, and food brought to the customer's table support a higher level of personal service and an elevated brand positioning, the release stated. The design and guest experience focuses on increasing transactions for lunch and dinner.

Throughout the design, Tesser showcased the idea of transforming/improving the taste of food through heat. The design made improved cooking grills, featuring fire-like lighting from recessed areas in the wall; using red glass as a viewing area into the kitchen; and incorporating shou-sugi-ban-inspired tile, a Japanese technique of pre-charring wood to make it fire retardant. The new Quiznos Grill logo is white with charred letters and a Q|G equation for use on handheld paper menus, crew uniforms, compostable take-out packaging, and beer and wine coasters and signage.

To convey key messages about Quiznos Grill's food, Tesser brought the "food forward" for customers to see their sandwiches being made by looking through a red-tinted glass divider wall.

"By exposing the kitchen so customers can see the food being prepared to order, it provides an element of transparency and authenticity," White said. "This kitchen design lets Quiznos Grill celebrate the sandwich."

Tesser also selected hardwood floors, leather seating, a wood ceiling feature with integrated LED lights to visually lead customers from the door to the order area to the drink area.

"With 'Toasteria' inspiring the core brand and the new fast casual concept Quiznos Grill, Tesser provided multiple solutions for Quiznos to breathe new life into the brand and offer the company and its franchisees different options to meet a range of financial and growth goals," said Susan Lintonsmith, CMO for Quiznos.

The first Toasteria-inspired Quiznos and Quiznos Grill stores opened in the Denver in November.