Chicago — Potbelly Corporation, the iconic neighborhood sandwich shop, has finalized a 16-unit shop development agreement in two Florida markets. This agreement includes 14 shops in Broward County and two shops in Gainesville.
“We are enthused to begin a partnership with Rami Boaziz and Stellar Hospitality, which we believe will be great stewards of the brand,” says Bob Wright, president and chief executive officer. “We look forward to expanding the Potbelly brand in the Florida market with a Shop Development Area Agreement (SDAA) for 16 new shops, following our previous announcements for 20 units in the central Orlando and Tampa areas. This deal increases our market penetration in Florida through franchising and demonstrates additional momentum against our Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative.”
As part of its Franchise Growth Acceleration Initiative announced in March 2022, Potbelly plans to reach 2,000 units with at least 85% of those being franchised shops over the next 10 years. The brand also plans to refranchise approximately 25% of its company owned shops in conjunction with Shop Development Area Agreements.
Operations benefit from the sandwich concept’s flexible shop designs, including inline, endcap, drive-thru and non-traditional locations, which are equipped with tech-enabled enhancements to foster in-shop, takeout and delivery dining. For more information, visit https://www.potbelly.com/franchising-why-potbelly.
Since opening its first shop in Chicago in 1977, Potbelly has expanded to neighborhoods across the country, with approximately 425 shops in the United States including approximately 53 franchised shops. For more information, visit www.potbelly.com.
SOURCE: Potbelly Corporation