# Potbelly Sandwich Works

> Potbelly Sandwich Works is a Chicago-born fast-casual chain built around made-to-order toasted sandwiches, salads, soups, shakes, cookies and a deliberately quirky neighborhood-shop atmosphere. The business serves lunch-led consumer demand through company-operated and franchised shops, digital ordering, delivery and catering; following RaceTrac's 2025 acquisition, its expansion thesis centers on a franchise-led path from more than 445 U.S. shops toward a stated long-term goal of 2,000.

- **Founded:** 1977
- **Headquarters:** Chicago, United States
- **Founders:** Peter Hastings (Co-founder of the original sandwich operation), Bryant Keil (Founder of the modern chain and former CEO)
- **Team size:** 5,001-10,000 employees on LinkedIn; provided data lists approximately 5,000.
- **Products:** Toasted sandwiches and wraps, Salads, soups and sides, Shakes, cookies and desserts, Potbelly Perks, Digital ordering and delivery
- **Notable:** Grew from a single Chicago shop into more than 445 company- and franchise-owned U.S. locations by October 2025., Built a recognizable fast-casual identity around oven-toasted, customizable sandwiches and neighborhood-shop visual cues., Digital channels represented more than 40% of total shop sales in the fourth quarter of 2024.

## Products & services

- **Toasted sandwiches and wraps** — Made-to-order, customizable sandwiches in Original, Big and Skinny formats, including A Wreck, Italian, Turkey Breast and Meatball.
- **Salads, soups and sides** — Made-to-order salads, soups, chili and side dishes that broaden lunch and dinner occasions.
- **Shakes, cookies and desserts** — Hand-dipped shakes and cookies baked in shops, plus rotating seasonal sweets.
- **Potbelly Perks** — A loyalty program and app using spend-based coins redeemable across the menu; the program was enhanced in 2024.
- **Digital ordering and delivery** — Ordering through Potbelly's website and app, with delivery-marketplace support.
- **Catering** — Group sandwich bundles, boxed meals, salads and desserts for offices, schools and events.
- **Franchise development** — Multi-unit and non-traditional restaurant opportunities supported by training, operations and brand systems.

## Achievements

- Grew from a single Chicago shop into more than 445 company- and franchise-owned U.S. locations by October 2025.
- Built a recognizable fast-casual identity around oven-toasted, customizable sandwiches and neighborhood-shop visual cues.
- Digital channels represented more than 40% of total shop sales in the fourth quarter of 2024.
- Enhanced the Potbelly Perks loyalty program in January 2024 with flexible menu redemptions and tiered earning.
- Completed a strategic sale to RaceTrac in October 2025 after announcing an approximately $566 million transaction.
- Established a franchise-led growth platform with a stated long-term objective of 2,000 shops.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Potbelly highlighted 14 shop openings during the first half of 2026, including locations in Texas, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Illinois.
- **2026-06** — The company opened a street-level shop at The National in downtown Dallas, adding to more than 65 Texas locations.
- **2026-03** — Potbelly promoted a strong franchise pipeline, planned menu innovation and further development following its 2025 acquisition.
- **2025-12** — Jennifer Durham joined as senior vice president of franchising and development after the RaceTrac acquisition.
- **2025-10** — RaceTrac completed its acquisition of Potbelly, which then had more than 445 company- and franchise-owned shops.
- **2025-09** — RaceTrac and Potbelly announced an acquisition agreement valued at approximately $566 million, or $17.12 per share in cash.
- **2025-04** — Potbelly tested a premium prime rib sandwich in Chicago before expanding it to several company-operated markets.
- **2025-03** — The company introduced its 50/50 Large Area Developer Incentive Program for qualifying multi-unit franchise partners.

## Links

- Website: https://www.potbelly.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/potbelly-sandwich-works
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/potbelly
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/potbelly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potbellysandwichshop

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/potbelly-sandwich-works
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-13