The Windy City’s favorite sandwich chain is plotting an ambitious takeover of The Big Apple.
Potbelly is well-known as a Chicago-based sandwich chain that celebrates itself as a “first-class dive” that makes the “best-toasted sandwiches in all the galaxies”. The company was first established in 1977 when founder Peter Hastings started serving sandwiches to customers of his Lincoln Park antique shop. The Potbelly we all know today really got its start in 1996 though, when regular Bryant Keil bought the shop from Hastings and proceeded to grow Potbelly from 1 to 250 stores over the next 12 years.
Today, Potbelly is a nationally-recognized chain with over 479 locations across the country, about 45% of which are franchised. In New York, there are eight Potbelly stores currently operating in Manhattan, but that number is about to become much bigger. The Potbelly Corporation has now struck a multi-unit development deal with franchise group United One Group to re-franchise eight existing units and develop 13 new stores over the next eight years. United One Group is led by CEO Paramjit Josan and CDO Manny Singh, two fast-casual hospitality veterans with over 75 years of collective restaurant experience.
The new expansion is coming on the heels of Potbelly’s announcement last year that the company would be growing the number of franchise units to 2,000 over the next 10 years. As part of this plan, Potbelly also intends to re-franchise about 25% of its company-owned shops. Potbelly President Bob Wright stated of the deal that “This agreement marks an important milestone for our Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative as we expand Potbelly’s footprint across the country,” adding the deal “also demonstrates our confidence in the dynamic New York market as well as central business district shops for the brand”.
Paramjit Josan meanwhile said in a statement that “We look forward to using our depth of experience in New York City and within the restaurant sector to strategically develop Potbelly locations in the New York City area and expand upon its leading brand positioning, adding that “Potbelly is a clear gem within the sandwich and fast-casual space, offering a best-in-class dining experience.” For more information on all of the company’s latest updates, you can follow Potbelly on Instagram.
