Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Key figures
| Initial franchise fee | $40,000 |
| Total investment (Item 7) | $628,938 – $999,371 |
| Royalty (Item 6) | 6% of gross sales |
| Legal name (Item 1) | Potbelly Franchising, LLC |
| FDD issuance date | 2026-04-23 |
| Franchised units (Item 20) | 122 (Item 20, p.75) |
| Brand website | https://www.potbelly.com/company/franchise |
About Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Potbelly Sandwich Shop is a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its warm toasted sandwiches, soups, salads, and live music atmosphere. Founded in 1977 in Chicago as an antique store, Potbelly evolved into a beloved sandwich brand with approximately 430 locations across the United States. Franchisees benefit from a distinctive brand identity, loyal customer following, and a menu centered on fresh ingredients and high-quality toasted sandwiches made to order.
FDD-derived details (fees, outlets, ownership, sourcing)
Potbelly Sandwich Shop is a fast-casual restaurant chain known for its warm toasted sandwiches, soups, salads, and live music atmosphere. Founded in 1977 in Chicago as an antique store, Potbelly evolved into a beloved sandwich brand with approximately 430 locations across the United States. Franchisees benefit from a distinctive brand identity, loyal customer following, and a menu centered on fresh ingredients and high-quality toasted sandwiches made to order. MONEY FIGURES (Potbelly Sandwich Shop 2026 FDD, issued April 23, 2026): initial franchise fee $40,000 per Shop (Item 5, p15); total investment $628,938–$999,371 for a traditional Potbelly Shop (Item 7, p27); royalty 6% of the Shop's weekly Total Revenue (Item 6, p17); 470 outlets at year-end 2025 — 122 franchised + 348 company-owned (Item 20, Tables 1/3/4, pp75–82). Item 19: Potbelly makes financial performance representations — actual average and median weekly Gross Sales for franchised Potbelly Shops, plus actual average and median annual Gross Sales, operating expenses, and profits for certain affiliate-owned Shops (header verbatim: "FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPRESENTATIONS"). Source: MN CARDS filing 36195-202604-12, franchisor Potbelly Franchising, LLC, Clean FDD, issued April 23, 2026. TERRITORY (Item 12): territory is NOT exclusive - the FDD states you will not receive an exclusive territory.
Due diligence dossier
Every figure below is as disclosed in this brand's own FDD, with its FDD citation. FranchiseKI adds no analysis and estimates nothing.
Risk & history facts
| Litigation matters disclosed (Item 3) | 0 (Item 3, p.14 of the FDD) |
| Bankruptcy (Item 4) | No bankruptcy disclosed (Item 4) (Item 4, p.15 of the FDD) |
Ownership & operations
Training: Our training program is scheduled to be approximately 6 weeks, and the Managing Owner must also attend a 4 day owner training course at a designated training Potbelly Shop. (Item 11, p.39 of the FDD)
Questions to ask the franchisor
Generated from what this brand's FDD data does not disclose — ask Potbelly Sandwich Shop directly:
- What liquid capital does the franchisor require of a new franchisee? It is not disclosed in the FDD data we hold for this brand.
- What minimum net worth does the franchisor require? It is not disclosed in the FDD data we hold for this brand.
- What does the brand's recent unit history show over the last three years (Item 20)? Ask about openings. Ask about closures. Ask about transfers. We have not extracted a unit-history table for this brand.
- How exactly is the territory defined and protected (Item 12)? Ask for the territory map and the reserved-rights carve-outs in writing.
Territory — what the FDD says (Item 12)
Under this brand's Item 12 rule, you do not receive an exclusive territory. The franchisor may sell additional franchises in the same area. It may also operate company units there. Or it may sell through other channels. No area is reserved for you. No area is closed to you by another franchisee's exclusivity either. Placement is the franchisor's decision.
The FDD's own words (Item 12): “territory is NOT exclusive - the FDD states you will not receive an exclusive territory.”
Where Potbelly Sandwich Shop operates today
Per the brand's FDD outlet table (Item 20, Table 3 — franchised outlets by state, latest fiscal year): 90 franchised units across 20 states.
Projected openings (Item 20, Table 5)
Franchise agreements the FDD projects for the next fiscal year:
Source: mn_00063_7014669F-0000-CF11-B969-24CFF26D571B.pdf, Item 20. Counts are the franchisor's own disclosures.
Why two unit counts? The Key figures above cite 122 franchised units (Item 20, p.75) — the franchisor's reported franchised-unit total. The map above sums Item 20, Table 3 (franchised outlets by state at fiscal year-end), which totals 90. The two Item 20 figures are compiled on different bases, so they need not match.
Availability
Because this brand grants no exclusive territory, there are no territory-based exclusions: no area is reserved for an existing franchisee, and no area is reserved for you. Whether a new unit is placed anywhere is the franchisor's decision under Item 12.
Next steps with Potbelly Sandwich Shop
Put Potbelly Sandwich Shop on a shortlist. Compare it side by side with two other brands. Check it against your budget in the PerfectFit Quiz. Or talk it through with a vetted consultant. That conversation is free to buyers; call (385) 475-5319. Only the franchisor can confirm current terms. Only the franchisor can confirm territory availability.