Building the Cultural Foundation for a Transformed Enterprise
GoTo Foods: Defining Culture, Purpose & Values for a Modern Platform Company
As GoTo Foods completed its multi‑year transformation from a siloed brand portfolio into a unified platform company, I led the strategic communications work that defined the organization’s new cultural identity — its purpose, values, and leadership expectations. This work became the connective tissue that aligned thousands of employees and franchisees around a shared future.
A Moment of Organization Reinvention
The transformation required more than operational change — it demanded cultural clarity. The company needed a purpose that reflected its heritage, its people, and its ambitions, and values that would guide decision‑making across seven iconic brands and a rapidly modernizing enterprise.
I partnered closely with executive leadership, HR, brand teams, and cross‑functional stakeholders to build a cultural framework that was authentic, actionable, and inspiring.
A Response That Resonated
GoTo Foods’ new purpose — Feeding People and Potential — captured the heart of the organization:
- Feeding people through beloved brands and everyday moments
- Feeding potential by investing in employees, franchisees, and communities
- Feeding innovation and growth across the enterprise
This purpose became the north star for communications, leadership development, brand storytelling, and enterprise strategy.
Purpose had to be more than words — it needed to be a promise lived across every brand, every kitchen, every team.
Architect of the GoTo Foods Brand
A central part of the cultural transformation was the creation of ROOTS (Respect, Ownership, Opportunity, Together, and Service), GoTo Foods’ new enterprise values. Dawn led the development, naming, and rollout of ROOTS , a values system intentionally designed to be:
- Memorable : simple enough to recall instantly
- Meaningful: rooted in the company’s heritage and future
- Actionable: guiding real behaviors and decisions
- Unified: connecting seven brands under one enterprise identity
ROOTS became a framework employees could easily understand and apply, whether working in a brand kitchen, a franchise support center, or a corporate leadership role. The values were introduced through leadership communications, internal campaigns, and the global franchisee conference —, embedding them into the company’s cultural fabric.
ROOTS gave the organization a shared language — something everyone could remember, rally around, and live every day.
These values were introduced through leadership communications, enterprise storytelling, internal campaigns, and the global franchisee conference — embedding them into the company’s cultural fabric.
Enterprise Rollout and Engagement
To bring the purpose and values to life, my team and I developed a multi‑channel communications strategy that included:
- Executive messaging and leadership alignment
- Internal storytelling and employee engagement
- Franchisee communications across all brands
- Digital and enterprise content
- Purpose‑driven messaging woven into the GoTo Foods rebrand
The rollout created clarity, excitement, and shared ownership across the organization.
Purpose and values became the bridge between where the company had been and where it was headed next.
The Impact
The cultural work helped solidify GoTo Foods’ identity as a modern, unified platform company. It strengthened employee engagement, aligned leaders, and provided a clear framework for decision‑making during a period of rapid transformation.
Today, the purpose and values continue to guide the organization’s growth, innovation, and leadership, serving as a foundation for the company’s future.
Want to Read More?
View the full article from Fast Casual.
