Potbelly Sandwich Shop franchise research

Investment by format

Format-specific estimates only. Do not combine one format's minimum with another format's maximum.

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fees and ongoing costs

Franchise fee

$20,000 to $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review.

Royalty

6% · 6% of Shop's weekly Total Revenue, due each Wednesday for the prior Monday-Sunday week

Marketing contribution

3% (basis not captured; see original filing)

Technology fee

$1,165 per month plus $0.20 per digital transaction, plus taxes; may be increased on notice

Other fees

Brand Fund may rise up to 4% of Total Revenue on 90 days' notice; Annual convention fee up to $1,000; Additional training/special assistance up to $500 per day

Working capital (FDD Item 7)

Additional Funds (3 months): $100 to $50,000; covers initial operating expenses for first 3 months including payroll but not owner's draw, excluding real estate cost

Fees sourceFDD p.18 ↗

Working capital is drawn from Item 7. The Investment source below locates the investment section, not an independently verified working-capital scalar.

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

Financial performance: Item 19

Item 19 captured

Yes

Metric / basis

Average and median annual unit volume (Gross Sales) for franchised shops open all of 2025, with breakdowns by setting; also affiliate-owned and systemwide traditional shops

Reporting period

Fiscal 2025 (Period 1 through Period 12, ending December 28, 2025); 2024 and 2023 also shown

Sample

97 franchised shops open the full 12 periods (of 119 open; 24 excluded); 337 affiliate-owned shops; 434 systemwide

Reported average

$1,344,085

Reported median

$1,195,243

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Results depend on the disclosed metric, sample and period; consult the full filing.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.69 ↗

Unit growth: Item 20

Reporting year

2025

Scope

franchised outlets

Starting outlets

102

Year-end outlets

122

Net change

+20

Derivation

ending minus starting outlets

Openings

22

Terminations

2

Non-renewals

0

Other closures

0

Reacquisitions

0

Transfers

0

Transfers are not closures. Net change is ending minus starting outlets for the stated scope and year, or complete openings less terminations, non-renewals, other closures and reacquisitions. Missing inputs stay unknown.

Unit growth sourceFDD p.75 ↗

SBA loan history

Loan activity

18 approvals

Activity window

FY2021-FY2026 YTD; snapshot 2026-06-30

Median SBA loan

$848,000

Median loan window

FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30

Median loan sample

18 loans

Historical charge-off share

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans

Cohort

7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals

Numerator / denominator

0 / 0

Formula

CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100

This is a historical loan-level share, not a franchise failure probability or location survival rate. Loan size is not total investment. Other loan statuses are excluded from the seasoned denominator. Activity combines 7(a) and 504 approvals, excluding canceled and not-funded records; this is not a rolling five-year count. FY2024-25 franchise tags are sparse after directory suspension; fewer tagged loans do not establish brand decline. Recent charge-off cohorts are immature.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median loan amounts are financing context, not startup cost. The median window is separate from the seasoned charge-off cohort.

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Questions before you invest

How much does Potbelly Sandwich Shop franchise cost?

traditional Potbelly Shop (single table; excludes real estate purchase/lease costs): $628,938 to $999,371 These are format-specific estimates, not a guaranteed cash requirement. Franchise fee: $20,000 to $40,000 · Extracted Item 5 scalar range, not a universal minimum or maximum; formats, eligibility, discounts and waivers require original-filing review..

Investment sourceFDD p.27 ↗

Franchise fee sourceFDD · page not captured ↗

How much do Potbelly Sandwich Shop owners make?

Owner income is not captured. Gross sales and EBITDA are not owner pay. Item 19 metric: Average and median annual unit volume (Gross Sales) for franchised shops open all of 2025, with breakdowns by setting; also affiliate-owned and systemwide traditional shops. Sample: 97 franchised shops open the full 12 periods (of 119 open; 24 excluded); 337 affiliate-owned shops; 434 systemwide. Period: Fiscal 2025 (Period 1 through Period 12, ending December 28, 2025); 2024 and 2023 also shown.

Item 19 performance sourceFDD p.69 ↗

What's the SBA charge-off rate for Potbelly Sandwich Shop?

Suppressed: fewer than 10 seasoned loans; numerator / denominator: 0 / 0. Historical 7(a) FY2010-2019 approvals; CHGOFF / (PIF + CHGOFF + EXEMPT) × 100, snapshot 2026-06-30. This is not a franchise failure probability. Median SBA loan: $848,000; window: FY2023-FY2026 YTD through 2026-06-30; sample: 18 loans. Median financing is not total investment.

SBA loans sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗

Median SBA loan sourceSBA data · Jun 30, 2026 ↗