Cosi offers licensing of its catering menu
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Cosi’s catering orders average more than $300.Photo courtesy of Cosi
The Paris-born flatbread sandwich chain Così wants to grow its catering business. And it hopes other restaurant operators will help.
Parent company Così Restaurant Holdings LLC on Monday announced a Così Market Partner Program in which qualified restaurant operators can prepare and sell Così’s catering menu under a licensing deal, without opening a Così restaurant.
It works a bit like a virtual brand, except the offering is purely a catering menu.
Founded in 1989 in Paris, the fast-casual chain once had up to 150 locations across the U.S. at the end of 2008, but went through two bankruptcy filings, most recently in 2020. At that point, the chain had shrunk to about 13 units and transitioned to primarily a catering operation.
David Polonitza, Così’s executive vice president, said the chain now has 16 restaurants, and the average catering order is more than $300.
The licensing model is designed for independent caterers, cafes, delis, restaurants and others with a commercial kitchen to expand revenue by adding the Così menu as a catering option.
“The Market Partner Program represents an important step in the continued evolution of the Così brand,” said Polonitza, in a statement. “It creates new opportunities for independent operators while making Così catering available to more communities.”
Polonitza said the chain has tested the licensing partnership and is now working to expand it nationally, focusing first on markets where Così has a physical presence and strong brand awareness.
Under the program, the restaurant operator would have access to orders on Cosi’s website and third-party platforms. Partners also receive branded packaging, recipes and training. After initial training, there are no fees except on sales. The fee is 10% on sales through a third party, like ezCater, and 20% if the sale is through the Cosi website or customer service center.
At the end of 2025, Così had sales of $14 million, a 22% decline from the prior year, according to Technomic data. The chain’s unit count at that point was 14, down nearly 7%.
