At a Glance
About Potbelly
Potbelly is a food service franchise available to qualified franchisees. Prospective owners evaluate quick-service and casual dining concepts like Potbelly on startup cost, ongoing fees, and the strength of franchisor support.
Opening a Potbelly franchise calls for an estimated total investment of $628,938–$999,371. That figure includes an initial franchise fee of $20,000, along with costs such as equipment, buildout, signage, initial inventory, and working capital.
Potbelly includes a financial performance representation (Item 19) in its current FDD, meaning the franchisor discloses figures on unit-level sales or earnings. Reviewing Item 19 alongside validation calls with existing franchisees is the best way to gauge realistic performance.
Franchat tracks Potbelly's disclosure data and makes the latest FDD available so you can compare it against other food service opportunities.
Financial Performance (Item 19)
Potbelly's Item 19 discloses Average Unit Volume (AUV) figures for franchised, affiliate-owned, and systemwide Potbelly Shops for fiscal years 2023-2025, broken out by location type (Suburban, CBD, Urban, University, Airport, Kitchen). For the 2025 systemwide traditional Shops (434 units), the average AUV was $1,333,774 and median was $1,227,669, with sales ranging from $601,352 to $4,762,625, and 41% of shops performing at or above the average. The data excludes shops open less than 12 full periods and does not include operating expenses, costs, or profit figures.
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Potbelly FDD
Request the latest Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for Potbelly.