When Potbelly Sandwich Works first opened in 1977 in Chicago, it did so as part of an antique store.
The brand evolved. It’s now a chain of sandwich shops that makes a point to have antiques inside as decorations.
Southwest Florida’s first of a planned eight Potbelly locations opened Sept. 20. The first one is at the southwest corner of Interstate 75 and Colonial Boulevard, at 8475 Dani Drive, just north of Topgolf. It’s part of a small shopping center called Palmetto Commons that also recently opened Kelly’s Roast Beef. A mattress store and a restaurant/bar called Oar & Iron are also on the way and still under interior construction.
General Manager Doug Sanders supervises about 30 employees at the region’s first Potbelly, which specializes in serving hot sandwiches in the $5 to $12 range. Salads and milkshakes are also on the menu.
Since 2020, when Robert Wright left his position as cheif operating officer of Wendy’s to become CEO of Potbelly, the brand has been expanding.
This marks the seventh location in Florida. Although the exact future locations have yet to be announced, Sanders said there will be more coming to Naples, Estero, Cape Coral and eventually Port Charlotte.
“There’s a demand here for Potbelly,” said Sanders, who spent six weeks training in Chicago, learning the franchise.
In advance of the Fort Myers grand opening, the company’s “dream team” has been on hand to help with the launch. That team included Marco Jacoby, the franchise business consultant. He said consistency is the key in making a quick service restaurant work.
“The customer should not know the difference between a corporate-owned shop and a franchise-owned shop,” Jacoby said. “They should all run the same. That’s our philosophy.”
Jacoby pointed overhead to the air conditioning vent that was painted with the words “A First-Class Dive.”
“I love it,” Jacoby said. “It’s the best client I’ve ever worked for. We call it the ‘Potbelly Vibe.’”
The menu items are listed roughly in order of popularity.
“The Wreck is the most popular,” Sanders said. “It’s a sandwich that comes with turkey, ham, roast beef and salami. And it comes with Swiss cheese and your choice of all the toppings.”
Dining in means getting a sandwich served warm. But Sanders said he also likes to spice things up on his.
“There’s giardiniera,” Sanders said. “It’s like a hot pepper mix that you can add. When I was introduced to the brand, I remember that being a point with me as far as ingredients. You have to like hot stuff though. It’s a little on the hot side. But very tasty and delicious.”
