Potbelly Sandwich Works is an iconic neighborhood sandwich shop concept that debuted over 40 years
ago and has been feeding customers’ smiles with warm, toasty sandwiches, signature salads, hand-dipped
shakes, and other fresh menu items ever since. Our history began in 1977 when our founder, Peter Hastings, started offering oven-toasted sandwiches to customers inside his small antique store in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. While the store was originally focused on selling refurbished, vintage Potbelly stoves, the sandwiches became a massive hit and over time the shop evolved with the addition of booths, ovens to toast the sandwiches, hand-dipped ice cream, live music, and more.
Today, we have a network of 425 shops nationwide including a shop located right in the heart of the Gulch! We continue to adapt and evolve our concept while keeping community engagement and our legacy of culinary innovation top of mind. This forwardthinking approach has translated to category-leading average unit volumes (AUVs) of $1.3M, and the success of our shops has been driven by diverse menu offerings, effective restaurant designs, and
comprehensive support for our franchisee network.
There has never been a more opportune time for franchisees to grow with Potbelly as we are now amidst our most robust development cycle in years. Since the launch of our Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative in 2022 we have been rapidly expanding across the country, signing multi-unit development agreements with both new and existing franchisees. We are incredibly excited to grow our footprint in Nashville and look forward to partnering with experienced owners and operators in the market.