QSR May 2023

Bob Wright’s impression of Potbelly had a familiar tone to it. Few brands draw from bases as deep as the sandwich brand, which opened in 1977 in Peter Hastings’ Lincoln Park antique shop. It didn’t begin growing until a regular, Bryant Keil, purchased the concept from Hastings and scaled it from one to 250 stores over the next 12 years. It first reached double-digits in 2002 as Potbelly left Chicago for the first time, opening in Washington, D.C. Unit 100 arrived three years later, and the company went public in 2013. G O L d / BY DANNY KLEIN Potbelly has never lacked for brand affinity. But it’s just now starting to realize that massive potential. A POT OF POTBELLY www.qsrmagazine.com | QSR | MAY 2023 53 FAST CASUAL