About Us

“In order to find your passion, sometimes you have to create it. For me, it happened to be the quest for the perfect sandwich.” – Drew Harré, founder of the original Così Rue de Seine, Paris          

     It shouldn’t be that hard to find the perfect sandwich in Paris - a city renowned for its food scene. But for young New Zealander, Drew Harre, the hunt proved fruitless.  So, he set out to make his own. Drew understood that the soul of a sandwich lies in the bread, and he set off for Rome, Italy. Drew discovered an old bakery run by two brothers who mastered a century old flatbread recipe.

      Drew trained as an apprentice and, after countless hours spent in front of the brothers’ oven, Drew was ready to bring flatbread back to Paris.  Combining fresh ingredients and the timeless flatbread, Drew opened his restaurant, Così, in 1989 on Rue de Seine.  Soon, the little bistro became a favorite lunch spot for Parisians (as it is still to this day).

      The concept was brought to the United States by two brothers, Shep and Jay Wainwright. Upon discovery of this Parisian restaurant, it was love at first bite. The Wainwrights convinced Drew to sell them the rights to the concept outside of Paris and opened their first restaurant in New York City in 1996. The Company quickly developed a significant devoted customer base of millions of fans. 

       Today the Così brand is known throughout the United States. We are working with operators throughout the country to help them boost sales, while providing a tremendous customer experience that Così fans have known for decades.